


Oh my god, they were husbands.

by venom_for_free



Series: Oh my God they were husbands [1]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Badass Yuri, Explicit Sexual Content later on, First Kiss, First Time, Fluff, Friends to Husbands to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Otabek and Yuri get married for family reasons and continue to fall in love, Pining, Romance, They are really really good for each other, Trans!Yuri, modern day America, oblivious but very lovely Otabek, slowest slowburn if you consider the actual relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-31
Updated: 2020-07-21
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:42:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 44,358
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23415484
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/venom_for_free/pseuds/venom_for_free
Summary: "My son," his mother began, and even before she added more, he was afraid. Nothing good ever came with that tone."You know how we meet with the Carters tomorrow, right? They have very close family friends, a nice Russian family with a daughter. Her name is Yuri. And she's the prettiest—"Otabek drowned out the rest.Of course. Of fucking course. He hated cursing, but this was an instant when it was okay because, honestly, what the fuck were they thinking?" … they are a very influential family. I'm sure you've heard of the Plisetsky name."Yeah. Otabek heard of them. Every Kazakh had. Nikolai Plisetsky was quite famous. He founded a giant oil company, and since the 2000s, Russia continued to climb to the top of the world's oil-producing countries, leaving the Plisetskys with more money to their name than even his family had. And that alone was frightening.--Or: The AU in which Otabek and Yuri are pressured into marriage by their respective parents, but manage to avoid it for the longest time until they finally meet someone they actually like. Is it weird to fall in love with your husband? Especially when your family thinks he's your wife?-finished, updates on Tuesdays
Relationships: Otabek Altin/Yuri Plisetsky
Series: Oh my God they were husbands [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1971376
Comments: 528
Kudos: 493
Collections: To remember and cherish





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is loosely based on a charming Reddit post about two gay men getting married because they could cheat their parents this way since one of them was trans. Everything about them sounded like Otayuri to me, so I took the idea and ran. I did my very best to portrait both Russian and Kazakh customs correctly. However, as the prompt demands it, their parents are very traditional in their world view and sometimes outright insulting. This is not meant as a general portrayal of the cultural perspective. It is just what was needed to set the scene.

"Otabek?" His father's voice wavered through the apartment. He hated how it reverberated in the large rooms as if he was still in his childhood house and got caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Or his pants. That time had been worse. 

But Otabek did his best not to think about it. What was over was over. Right? At this point, his parents would probably be happier to see him like that because at least then he wouldn't be touching other boys. Oh, how his parents hated that. 

It wasn't like Otabek _decided_ to be gay, but they certainly acted like it. Even worse, at his age, being single was almost as bad. How was he supposed to carry on the bloodline and give his parents the perfect grandson if he had no interest in women? 

They wouldn't listen to Otabek's arguments about his sisters. It had to be him—a strong, powerful boy. 

He still shrunk into himself whenever he heard that bellowing voice. 

He returned from the kitchen with a tray full of food. Otabek was a good cook. That was one of the things he was very proud of. But his father looked disappointed at the small buffet he presented his parents with. Because he cooked it himself, and he was a man. Otabek could see it in his father's eyes. But before he could say something about it—

"When are you going to find yourself a nice wife to cook for you, Otabek? Isn't it enough that you act like you like men?" 

There was no use explaining to his father that he wasn't _acting_ as if he liked men. He did. He loved men. It wasn't a choice. But his family did not want to hear it. 

"It's bad enough you don't want a wife. You don't have to become one!" 

Ah, that was Otabek's mother. Different person, same worldview. In the generation of his parents, it was the woman's job to cook. The man would bring in the money. And Otabek was making plenty of cash, so _where was his woman?_

It got so bad; single men were expected to order takeout instead of cooking for themselves in some areas. His parents came from such a place. Otabek’s father was quite proud to proclaim that he had _never_ cooked a single meal, and his mother would add with the same prideful tone that after eight kids, he hadn't changed a single diaper. 

How someone could _want_ to be such a disgrace of a husband was beyond Otabek. To him, taking care of a family was not limited to financial security. And the thought of having a wife as a house slave filled him with dread. But that was, apparently, just him. All seven of his sisters fell happily into their roles as cleaners, maids, and birth machines. He did not blame them, though. Otabek was the only child to make it out of Kazakhstan. If he had stayed … he couldn't say for sure how it would have affected his own world views. 

As the only son of the family, it was his birthright and task to continue the family business. And because Otabek spoke fluent English, America became his home, and he began to manage his father's offshore affairs. The arguably best decision of his life. 

Still, from time to time, his family caught up to him—like right now—as they visited to discuss contract details with a client in person. Otabek was barely more than a translator, even though he had been the primary contact for the longest time, and it was his deal. Not that it mattered. 

He'd happily hand over a dozen deals if his father stopped pestering him about marriage. They had an agreement. Otabek wouldn't marry a woman because he was gay. He wouldn't marry a man either because he wanted to save his parents from disgrace. He would stay single, and everyone would be unhappy but appeased. 

Or so he thought. 

"My son," his mother began, and even before she said something more, he was afraid. Nothing good ever came with that tone. 

Otabek murmured what could be interpreted as telling her to go on or as clearing his throat. Immediately, his father raised an eyebrow at him, and Otabek corrected himself. "Yes, ana?" 

"You know how we meet with the Carters tomorrow, right?" 

He nodded. Of course he knew. It was another appointment Otabek worked hard for, and he was incredibly proud to present his parents with. The deal was already sealed, and this meeting was just about signing the papers, something Otabek would have done on his own if his father hadn't been in the country already. 

But he was here, and so he would sign. Otabek would stand back and smile politely, as he was taught. 

Although apparently, that wasn't the end of it. 

"The Carters have very close family friends, a nice Russian family. They have a daughter, you know? Her name is Yuri. And she's the prettiest—" 

Otabek drowned out the rest. 

Of course. Of fucking course. He hated cursing, but this was an instant when it was okay because, honestly, what the _fuck_ were they thinking? 

" … they are a very influential family. I'm sure you've heard of the Plisetsky name." 

Yeah. Otabek heard of them. Every Kazakh had. Nikolai Plisetsky was quite famous not only in their motherland but also across borders. He founded a giant oil company, and since the 2000s, Russia continued to climb to the top of the world's oil-producing countries, leaving the Plisetskys with more money to their name than even his family. And that alone was frightening. 

Otabek never heard of a Yuri, though. Not that he had any interest. _Especially_ not if it was set up by their families. She could be the prettiest thing in the world, the most polite woman, but he didn't care. Otabek. Was. Gay. Not by choice but by birth. He chose, however, to be proud of it, even though his family would never understand. "Yes, yes. Fine. I hear you, ana. But my answer is no." 

There. Otabek said it. He stood up to his parents like a grown man was supposed to do. That would be enough to ward them off, he hoped. Maybe at least until their next visit. But his father grinned, and Otabek already knew he lost whatever game they were playing. 

"Oh, my son, we didn't ask. It's a business dinner. You will be there as the manager of our resources here. You will meet the Carters and the Plisetskys, and you will be on your best behavior. Do I make myself clear?" 

And Otabek knew, if he wanted to keep his position and his nice, open-minded, liberal life in America, he would have to meet Yuri Plisetsky. Even if he hated it. 

\---------- 

The room was hot, the food was sweet and sour in a terrible combination that confused Otabek's senses, and the chatter was expectant and pregnant with purpose. 

Otabek was uncomfortable, and Yuri was bland. She was pretty as a doll and had the same emotional depth. An empty head and porcelain skin, her face painted on, and her hair tugged into a complicated braid that made Otabek's head hurt when he tried to figure out how it was made. There was no way all that hair was hers. She was obviously dressed up and forced into what their parents considered to be a beautiful form if her dead eyes and empty smile gave any indication. 

He pitied her, and he hated everything she stood for. Yuri was a well-behaved girl, always saying 'yes' and 'please' and 'thank you' and 'how may I assist?' 

Otabek's father kept wiggling his eyebrows at his son, and the former man’s gut churned every time, the dread continuously increasing. 

The only thing keeping him sane was the total disregard Yuri seemed to have for him. There was no smile, no flirting, no batted eyelashes in his direction. Otabek assumed this was because Yuri could afford to choose her husband with that family name on her doorbell. 

Maybe she hated him. Perhaps she'd say no. 

Otabek was so focused on his thoughts; he only realized they were alone in the room when the fragile woman transformed right in front of him. Yuri slouched, rolled her shoulders, and leaned forward, fixing Otabek with a piercing gaze. 

"Listen, dude. I'm a trans man. I'm not out to my family, so you really, _really_ don't want to marry me. Just shut the fuck up and go home. I'm here because I have to be and I'll play their game, but I'd be really fucking grateful if you could just keep it in your pants and stay away from me, or I'll have to kick your little—" 

"What do you mean? I don't even like women. " 

Yuri was silent. She—he—blinked at Otabek. "Wait. You didn’t set all of this up to get yourself a nice, pristine housewife?" 

"Dude. No. I'm … fuck, no. I'm gay. And liberal." 

Yuri laughed. Suddenly, he wasn't bland anymore. Otabek realized he was interacting with a facade before, a carefully created front of a dainty little girl dreaming of being someone's pet. Now that he was actually talking to _Yuri_ , Otabek felt differently. 

Yuri wasn't afraid to curse. He was a man who rejected the idea of traditional gender roles. And he neither wanted nor needed to be saved. Yuri had a bright, booming laugh, and Otabek was surprised to catch himself laughing along. Yet there he was, making noises of delight he hadn't expected from the night. 

"Just so I understand this clusterfuck correctly; my parents want to marry me off because they think I'm a woman, and your parents want me to marry their son because they think of all people, _I_ could cure you from the big bad gay?" 

"It looks like it." 

Both of them grinned at each other, and as Yuri's mother entered the room, she noted how happy he looked. She didn't say 'he,' though, so Otabek was aware that not everything was perfect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed the story so far, and I would love for you all to talk to me while we go onto this journey together. 
> 
> As always, my eternal thanks goes to Taedae, who not only edits my stories, but also cheers me on and has a lot of kind words and time for me and my bullshit. I love you with my whole heart.
> 
> Edit: The original poster said, that he doesn't mind his story being used for fanfiction, but doesn't want to be actively associated with it, so I'm respecting his wish and won't link the source. Most of the work is original content anyway, the Reddit post influence doesn't reach much further than chapter two, anyway.
> 
> Thank you for reading, and I would love to hear from you!  
> I'm also on  
> tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/venom-for-free  
> instagram: https://www.instagram.com/venom_for_free/  
> or twitter: https://twitter.com/venom_for_free


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recap Chapter 1: Otabek and Yuri meet in America, they get to know each other and realize that maybe, they are on to something if they can just trick their parents into believing their lie.

"Why are you constantly smiling? Who are you texting? This isn't a work conversation, is it, Otabek? You're acting unprofessionally!" 

He knew that. He really did. But … it was hard to put his phone down when Yuri was so hilarious. He texted Otabek a picture of a cat wearing a hat, which by now, he had learned was Potya, Yuri's pet. Her name meant ‘ _puma tiger scorpion,’_ just one of the weird facts Otabek discovered recently about his new friend.

"Don't worry, äke. I'm texting Yuri." 

It was almost ridiculous how much his father's behavior changed in an instant. "Yuri Plisetsky? 

"It's not like there are two Yuris." The joke was worth the disapproving look that followed. "Yes, Yuri Plisetsky." 

"So you do like her?" 

It took all Otabek had not to tell his father to use the correct pronouns. To be fair, neither Yuri's nor Otabek's family knew about them. "I do. Yuri is funny. And clever." 

His father smiled approvingly. "When will you ask her?" 

"To go out with me?" 

"To marry you." 

Oh. Right. That was what he was supposed to do here. He and Yuri developed such an entertaining and easy friendship, Otabek forgot why they had been introduced in the first place. 

He excused himself, much to the dismay of his father, and went into the bathroom because it was the only place he was comfortable right now. Otabek was hiding in his own home.

**To: Yuri Plisetsky**

**"So when are we going to get married, my beautiful maiden?"**

His phone chimed barely ten seconds later. Yuri must have kept the phone in his hands after he sent the cat picture. 

**From: Yuri Plisetsky**

**"whenever ur ready to ask str8 boy"**

\----------

Otabek thought Yuri had been joking. 

But Yuri had been, in fact, not joking. 

**From: Yuri Plisetsky**

**"WHEN"**

**To: Yuri Plisetsky**

**"What do you mean, when?"**

**From: Yuri Plisetsky**

**"When r u goin to follow Beyonce's advice nd put a ring on it?!"**

He was stunned. Yuri was asking him for marriage? Like this? It was absurd. Or was it? What were the chances they would ever get another opportunity like this? 

**To: Yuri Plisetsky**

**"Did you think this through? What if you'll be unhappy?"**

**From: Yuri Plisetsky**

**"Already unhappy u idiot @ this point w/n marry my BFF"**

**To: Yuri Plisetsky**

**"Boyfriend-fling?!?!"**

**From: Yuri Plisetsky**

**"Best friend you potato"**

**To: Yuri Plisetsky**

**"What's the second f for?"**

**From: Yuri Plisetsky**

**"Certainly not me I prefer m"**

Otabek rolled his eyes, but a small smile still forced its way onto his face. He was glad his parents were back in Kazakhstan, or he'd never hear the end of it. 

_You only smile for Yuri._

Well, it was accurate, but for different reasons. 

**From: Yuri Plisetsky**

**"Honestly asshole say yes ur the only dude I can stand nd ur already taking too long my parents get iffy I can tell they r searchin again"**

For some reason Otabek couldn't identify, the thought bugged him a lot. Potentially because he knew the chances weren't exactly on Yuri's side for another potential partner to accept his sexuality or gender. 

**To: Yuri Plisetsky.**

**"So, we're getting best friends-married?"**

Otabek received a grinning cat emoji and a thumbs up. He smiled and tucked his phone away, not realizing he just got engaged. But he didn't get very far anyway. A few breaths later, it chimed again, and he hastily yanked it back out of his pocket. 

What he read made his heart freeze, then speed up with uneasiness. If he had any doubts before, they were erased now. 

**From: Yuri Plisetsky**

**"Jus promise its the last dress I ever wear."**

\---------- 

Otabek hated seeing Yuri like this. Hated it with a passion. By now, he realized Yuri's porcelain facade was fragile and easily destroyable, even with Yuri's best efforts to keep it up. Otabek had to give him credit for his believability, but Yuri had a lifetime of playing the role of a girl behind himself. And every time he witnessed the act, Otabek felt more uneasy. 

Recently he learned Yuri wasn't wearing artificial hairpieces. It was actually all real and incredibly long, almost reaching his tailbone. Yuri also drew a mean winged eyeliner he was proud and fiercely protective over. If anyone tried to tell him makeup was for girls and he couldn't be trans if he liked it, Yuri would teach them a lesson on manners. Otabek had seen him fight transphobic assholes online, the only place where Yuri could be himself. Well, there and with Otabek. 

Right now, he was sitting at the big table in the Plisetsky estate in Saint Petersburg. After one of their latest text conversations, Otabek made sure to let Yuri's parents know how _interested_ he was in their child. 

Just a few more days of playing pretend. 

When dinner was over, Yuri and his mother conveniently disappeared into the kitchen. Usually, it would be to take care of the dishes and leftovers, but the Plisetskys had staff for that, so Otabek assumed Yuri had at least hinted about some things. The way his father looked at Otabek definitely indicated that. 

"Alexander—" 

"Sasha." 

Otabek blinked. He hadn't expected to be offered the diminutive, especially not right now, _before_ the wedding even took place. It was so unexpected, Otabek was overwhelmed with the implied intimacy. "Thank you, sir." 

"Oh, but aren't we something akin to family by now?" 

So Yuri had told them something. He should have suspected it when he received the letter asking him to join the Plisetskys in Russia for a few days. The invitation left him with few choices, but his father had been so happy, he gifted Otabek the Harley he wanted to buy since forever. 

Anyway, Otabek couldn't lose the momentum if Alexander—Sasha—gave him such an excellent opportunity to ask. 

"Yes, sir. I hope to think so, too. In fact, that's something I wanted to talk to you about." 

The older man leaned forward and pushed a strawberry into his mouth, smiling at Otabek. Strawberries in winter. In Russia. A sign of wealth Otabek would never understand. But Alexander wasn't stopping his proposition. Instead, he was stuffing his mouth, literally shutting himself up and indicating for Otabek to go on. That had to be a good sign. 

Otabek wasn't sure why he was nervous. He knew Yuri's family wanted to marry him off with a desperation similar to his own parents. 

"As you have probably figured out, this is about Yuri. We’ve gotten closer over the last few weeks, as I'm sure you know or I wouldn't have had the pleasure of being invited. I am aware we were introduced to each other with a purpose, and I would like you to know that, from my part, there is nothing holding me back. Yuri is … more than I could ever have expected, and with your permission, I would like to ask for Yuri's hand in marriage. Not just because we make each other happy, but also because the joining of our families could—" 

"Yes." 

Oh. That was … easier than Otabek anticipated. And the surprise must have shown on his face. 

"Otabek. Beka, if I might? You are a good man. You are successful, far from an eyesore, and very polite. But most importantly, my daughter smiles whenever she texts you. I can see in her eyes that you are the one she wants. And what Yuri wants is what she will get. Always." 

_Except a gender change._ Otabek was smart enough not to voice his thoughts, but Yuri being referred to as _‘she’_ and a _‘daughter’_ made him cringe. When he could, Otabek avoided pronouns around their families, but in private, he called Yuri _‘he’_ or _‘him’_ whenever possible. He was aware of how much it meant to his best friend to be recognized like this, even by only one person. 

He forced himself back into the situation. Otabek had a bad habit of thinking so much and talking so little, his conversation partners thought he was daydreaming. Or worse, rude. And he couldn't afford that with the Plisetskys. 

"Thank you so much, sir. I'm honored you think so highly of me. I promise I'll dedicate my life to giving Yuri everything I possibly can." 

Otabek's future father-in-law looked pleased and nodded once, showing his approval. A man of few words. Otabek liked that. Maybe they could get along. 

\----------

The end of Otabek's visit was nearing quickly. And there was a ring burning a hole in the pocket of his suit. Why was he nervous? He knew Yuri wanted this, knew both families wanted it, and that this was the best-case scenario both for him and his best friend. 

But it was a big step nonetheless. 

Today was his last day, and he was getting increasingly nervous until he received a text message. 

**From: Yuri Plisetsky**

**"U goin to ask anytime soon or r u goin to chicken out?! Times runnin nd I didn't get into a summer dress 4 nothin"**

Huh. So Yuri was waiting, too. 

**To: Yuri Plisetsky**

**"A summer dress, huh? Who can say no to that? Do you want to do it in front of your parents or alone?"**

**From: Yuri Plisetsky**

**"Well duh - ofc in front of my parents how else would they take pics for the family? How would my aunt live without the knowledge that their youngest offspring indeed managed to trap a man and not die a lonely old hag?!"**

The fact that Yuri was so angry about all this that he forgot to use weird abbreviations for most of the message made Otabek smile. 

**To: Yuri Plisetsky**

**"Meet me in the garden for a stroll?"**

**From: Yuri Plisetsky**

**"Fuck me I'm gettin married to a moron its fucking winter in Russia where you wanna stroll?"**

Otabek didn’t know why, but he considered Yuri's continuous cursing endearing. It was as if Yuri expressed himself in a harsher way over text because he couldn't do so in person. _Yet._

**To: Yuri Plisetsky**

**"I'm not the moron in a summer dress. And I was thinking about the pond. It's frozen over, right? I haven't had a proper winter for years in America. We could skate?"**

**From: Yuri Plisetsky**

**"nd fall on our asses+ ruin the picture? Hell no come to the fireplace so I can b warm while I'm pReTtY."**

Otabek learned quickly that he struggled with saying no to Yuri. 

\---------- 

He swore himself never to say it out loud, but Yuri looked incredibly handsome in his dress. Not in the way most women looked pretty when they put makeup on, but in the way he held himself like a warrior dressed in battle armor. If he knew him less, Otabek would have thought Yuri was a happy woman about to get engaged to her lover. 

Instead, he smiled at a man in a costume. His proud, resilient friend that he would marry if only to keep their families off their backs. 

Yuri's eyes wandered appreciatively over his suit, and Otabek knew he was thinking about his aunts and uncles who would gasp in delight when they saw the pictures. After all, Otabek tried hard to look as proper and presentable as he could. In his hand was a bouquet of flowers that shouldn't bloom in winter but were still present. 

He read up on Russian proposal customs. 

Otabek didn't kneel. He didn't present the ring in a fancy, grand gesture. He smiled at his future parents-in-law until both Alexander and Ekaterina—who he now called Sasha and Katya—nodded. Then he smiled at Yuri and Yuri smiled back and it was over before he noticed. The question between them was quiet, but the answer was not. Not by the standards of the Russian elite, at least, because Yuri threw his arms around Otabek's neck and kept muttering ' _yes yes yes yes yes.'_

Pictures were taken, and an emerald ring slipped onto Yuri's finger, encrusted in platinum and diamonds worth more than Otabek made in a year. It didn't matter. Yuri mattered. The happiness of their families mattered. And if Otabek was coincidentally happy, too, who would mind? 

\---------- 

After the proposal, Otabek knew he wouldn't actually return to America within a week. Which was why he entrusted his friend Leo to take care of the business during his absence. 

Russians were fancy, after all. A big wedding ceremony wasn't enough, not by a long shot. Along with their pictures, the Plisetskys issued invitations to an engagement celebration. There would be a big feast and dancing and gifts and congratulations. There would also be a public engagement ring exchange. 

Otabek's whole family was flown in within a few days, and after only two weeks, everything was organized and ready. Of course, Otabek knew it wasn't humanly possible to organize that kind of a party within two weeks. But whenever he thought about asking Yuri, he realized it didn't matter. They were free, and their families were happy. The perfect arrangement. 

His sisters never stopped cooing about Otabek's beautiful Russian bride, and his parents wouldn't stop telling them how handsome their babies would be. Both of them nodded and smiled, and although Otabek could see the hint of sadness in Yuri’s eyes, he didn't dare comment.

The night before the party, though, Yuri seemed to decide to take conversational matters into his own hands. 

**From: Yuri Plisetsky**

**"Do you ever want kids?"**

Otabek needed a few moments to think about the question, but he realized he took too long when the text was followed with a quick "nvm." 

**To: Yuri Plisetsky**

**"I've been thinking, sorry. But honestly, I'm not sure. I never wanted any, and I don't think that will change. I completely accepted being single for the rest of my life. Now I can be single while I'm married. Isn't that fun?"**

**From: Yuri Plisetsky**

**"Yeah. Fun."**

That was … unusual. Otabek thought Yuri was happy with the arrangement? He couldn't interpret if it was sarcasm or bitterness. 

**To: Yuri Plisetsky**

**"Don't worry. You can be yourself in America. You'll find someone who loves you for yourself. You're amazing."**

**From: Yuri Plisetsky**

**"Thx."**

Otabek frowned. That didn't feel right, but he couldn't pinpoint why. Yuri was so hard to read sometimes. Especially over the phone. 

**To: Yuri Plisetsky**

**"Don't worry. We can always adopt a dog? :)"**

**From: Yuri Plisetsky**

**"Change this to cat or Im calling off our engagement Altin."**

Ah. There he was again. 

Otabek smiled and sent him a thumbs up. 

\----------

The party was everything he expected. Grande, over the top in every aspect and full of influential people. On top of the other perks, this marriage meant Otabek wouldn't have to network a day in his life anymore. Most prominent players in every industry of market value considered him family now. 

His own parents and sisters beamed every step of the way. It wasn't every day they got invited to visit a family with more money and influence than their own. Or was it their own now? Yuri and Otabek weren't married yet. 

Alexander and Ekaterina, who Otabek liked but not enough to call them by their diminutives in his thoughts, seemed to have their own answer to this question. They didn't try to hide that they were planning to go with a quick yet pompous wedding. Courtesy of the Plisetskys, of course. 

Otabek's father tried to pitch in and offer their own money, but Yuri's parents were adamant. Despite the groom's family traditionally being the one to finance the wedding, Yuri's family was so desperate to auction him off, it was as though Yuri was a painting they were paying the bidder to take off their hands. As a friend, of course. Otabek's best friend. 

He looked mesmerizing in his dress, and his act was almost convincing with how he laughed and twirled in it. But Otabek could see how he tucked the excess fabric between his legs, how he crossed them at the ankles when no one looked instead of throwing one leg over the other. His mother told him three times to sit like a proper lady, and Yuri shrunk a little each time. 

Otabek sat next to him and took his hand. Just to reassure him. He smiled at Yuri and later asked him to dance. When they took to the floor, he whispered into Yuri's ear, "After the wedding, I'll let you lead every dance you want." 

And then the music began, and they were moving. And if he hadn't known better, Otabek would have said Yuri gasped a little and pressed himself tighter against him. 

\----------

**From: Yuri Plisetsky**

**"Thank you."**

Otabek smiled and held his phone tight. Yuri thought about him before going to bed. He even put in the effort to text him, no abbreviations, so Otabek had every reason to assume Yuri meant his words. Looking at the text once more, Otabek smiled again. He felt almost sappy, but told himself it was okay. 

**To: Yuri Plisetsky**

**"You're welcome. And thank you, too."**

\-----------

The Plisetskys seemed to want to get rid of Yuri even more urgently than he thought. Or maybe they wanted their ‘daughter’ to tie the knot before Yuri could send another man running. Otabek learned that while Yuri displayed impeccable behavior with his family, he used all kinds of tricks and stunts to get rid of former candidates. 

Otabek had no intention to run, and he tried to make this clear, but no one seemed to care. Which was fine, too, because it meant returning to his former life quickly. 

Whenever they were alone, he enjoyed how Yuri seemed to take off a second skin and became himself. His stance would widen, his back would straighten out, and he would curse like a sailor. It was beautiful. They joked easily. 

The wedding planning was simple, too. Yuri's family was taking care of everything, and Otabek just had to say yes. Alexander loved how easy-going he was, and Otabek loved that they expected literally nothing from him but to keep Yuri entertained. 

Which was fun, anyway. 

When Otabek traveled between Russia and the United States, he caught himself actually missing his friend. Yuri was great to be around, and Otabek knew it would only become better over time because he would finally get the chance to be himself in America. Whenever they spoke about it, he could see the longing in Yuri’s eyes. He wanted to get out of Russia, too. 

  
Once they were married, Yuri would move in with him. He planned to continue the studies he abandoned in Russia because _‘no one wanted a know-it-all wife’_. Except Otabek enjoyed being around smart people, and Yuri would never be anyone’s wife.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading, and I would love to hear from you!  
> I'm also on  
> tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/venom-for-free  
> instagram: https://www.instagram.com/venom_for_free/  
> or twitter: https://twitter.com/venom_for_free


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recap chapter 2:  
> They text a lot, Otabek returns to Russia, there is a private proposal and an official proposal, Yuri plans to move in with him after the wedding.

After three months, everything was ready. 

  


And _everything_ was to be considered literal. The Plisetskys ensured no one could even think of something missing. And since the festivities usually lasted between two and seven days, it was all arranged for a whole week of celebrations. 

  


Otabek brought his family along and what felt like every person they had ever shaken hands with. This time, Leo was in Russia, too, the family business closed for a few days to honor the Plisetsky family. 

  


Everything began with the Ranson. It was more of a fun tradition than an actual dowry that needed to be paid, but Otabek was happy; it was his family who had to invest in the wedding for once. Or so he thought. Yuri was _‘kidnapped’_ the morning of their ceremony. Otabek knew it would happen, so he wasn’t too distraught, but the prospect of embarrassing himself in front of his future husband's family scared him a little. Yuri’s bridesmaids set up a series of challenges he had to complete to prove his strength, love, and devotion. In theory, failing would cost him. He would have to bribe the bridesmaids into allowing him to continue, and before they started out, Otabek was scared it would be quite an expensive headstart, but it turned out to be easier than expected. They organized a little treasure hunt across Saint Petersburg. The destinations were Yuri’s favorite places, and it was the most natural thing in the world for Otabek to name them, find them, and complete the tasks. Sometimes he struggled with puzzles or complicated quests, but in the end, he passed every single question about Yuri. 

  


He was so caught up in the moment, Otabek didn’t notice the way all the bridesmaids seemed to look at him. Only when Leo told him about it did he realize every single one of them was smiling at him with a star-crossed expression. 

  


“You know her so well. You must really love her.” 

  


_Better than you do if you still call him ‘her.’_

  


After bribing the bridesmaids with chocolate, flowers, and money as tradition requested, Otabek was finally guided to Yuri’s location. It was the book shop at the street corner where he found his first cat, and Otabek smiled fondly at the memory of the phone call when Yuri told him all about it. 

  


Yuri was already in a dress, face painted and hair styled. He looked like he wanted to squirm but held still. Upon being reunited, they hugged, and Ekaterina joked about them always being so polite and proper. They only kissed once, during the engagement ceremony, but it had been just a peck to the corner of each other’s mouth, nothing that could be called a real kiss. Their parents were convinced it was etiquette, but in reality, they were just friends. 

  


Friends that were about to get married. No big deal.

  


Once they were ready to leave the bookstore, Yuri hooked his arm through Otabek’s and refused to leave his side. They were approaching the ceremony now. Everything about this affair would be over the top, but Yuri and him _knew._ They knew it wouldn’t always be like this. 

  


The first part of their traditional Russian Orthodox wedding was the betrothal. He and Yuri stood in front of the church, waiting at the entrance where a priest blessed them. Then they were given lit candles. Otabek knew he would have to hold on to them throughout the whole ceremony. Still, his hands were shaking slightly, and at some point during the scripture reading, he almost dripped wax over the back of his hand. He felt incredibly stupid, but Yuri smiled at him, and the world was a better place again. 

  


The second part of the traditional ceremony followed, the crowning. As one of the seven sacraments, it was considered more important than the exchange of rings. Yuri and Otabek stood on a rose-colored cloth while the priest placed crowns onto their heads that were probably worth more than the yearly income of several smaller countries. Otabeks’s crown was held in place by his sister Ayana, Yuri’s was supported by his cousin Viktor. After, they shared a cup of wine that was probably as old as Alexander and then followed the priest around the lectern three times. Yuri explained to him before the ceremony that it was meant to symbolize their journey into married life. He also told Otabek they would have to wear their crowns for eight days if they wanted to follow the historical traditions, but in modern times, they were taken off after the priest announced their union and said the benediction. 

  


Russian weddings happened in a variety of ways, but all of them had one thing in common. They were only legally recognized if a trip to the registration office, the Zapis Aktov Grazhdanskogo Sostoyaniya, was done. In a thirty-minute ceremony, the couple was greeted by family members with bread and salt. The ring exchange followed and they were pronounced husband and wife yet again. 

  


Once this was done, Otabek realized he just married his best friend. Legally he had a wife now. Their parents beamed with pride when they handed him and Yuri a crystal glass each. Both men smiled warmly at the other, before throwing the glasses to the ground with all their might. The crystal shattered into hundreds of little pieces, and Otabek was proud because they were meant to each symbolize a year of happy marriage. Only when they were outside and Yuri wrote his maiden name onto a balloon and let go of it, did Otabek grasp that he was an Altin now. They were both beaming brighter than the late spring sun as their eyes met across the garden. 

  


Yuri was finally returned to him by his father-in-law, and Otabek realized this was probably when he should kiss his husband. His wife, when it came to the rest of the world. He tilted his head and smiled as Yuri craned his neck up, and for a tiny moment, their lips brushed. They kept their heads in place a second longer to avoid people getting suspicious, then separated again to smile at each other once more. 

  


Otabek had been so sure he would never get married. 

  


With the official registration behind them, he and Yuri climbed onto the rented bike that had been Otabek’s only demand for the day. Yuri’s skirt bunched up uncomfortably, and Otabek made a big show of trying to fit it onto the machine but not managing to. Then he _‘remembered’_ the second set of jeans and a shirt he stashed in the compartment boxes of the bike—in case something got dirty, of course. 

  


Yuri redressed in the bathroom, and if the jeans fit him a little too well to be Otabek's, no one said anything. He wouldn’t have to be in a pristine white dress for their grand road trip. When aunt Lilia scolded him and told him he looked like a boy, Yuri only grinned at her and hooked his arm through his new husband’s. “Someone married me anyway.” 

  


Otabek couldn’t be sure, but he thought he saw Nikolai smile. 

  


It was already late afternoon, and Yuri had hoped to push the road trip to the second day so he would have a reason not to wear his dress. But when it became clear they were expected to follow the family’s timetable and wedding ideas, they at least decided on this little stunt. 

  


Yuri would have preferred to visit the landmarks around them with Otabek alone, he said so both to his best friend and their parents, but Alexander refused to back down. He wanted to _‘See his beautiful little girl off before she went out into the big, dangerous world.’_ His words, not Otabeks. 

  


Them on a bike and the rest of the family in cars decked out in gold rings and flowers behind them was a compromise the men fought hard for. When everyone was finally on or in their assigned vehicles, Otabek started the bike. Yuri only told him the night before that he had never been on a motorcycle, and the way he was holding on now made that obvious. Otabek directed him until they were both comfortable, then he began their tour. 

  


It was as traditional and cliche as the rest, but it was expected of them, so they would do it, even if it took all night. There were things they did for good luck, like visiting Peter Vassilevsky Island so they could pet the 4000-year-old Egyptian statues and stone griffons. Or going to the New Hermitage Portico to rub the toes of some marble Atlantis statues. But they also visited religiously meaningful places to get photos. Otabek was told to pose with his and Yuri’s hands inside the Rostrum Column. It was a symbol of their new bond of marriage and his parents-in-law looked like they were about to cry when Yuri hugged him spontaneously before they climbed back onto the bike. Senate Square was the last stop. Here they would have to get photos with the eternal flame of the heroes of World War II. As a Kazakhstani, Otabek felt strange about that but was reassured they were fine by his new family. Yuri proceeded to show him the Bronze Horseman statue and the monument to Peter the Great.

  


When they finally arrived back in the estate that night, all Otabek wanted was to go to bed and fall asleep. But for the first time, Yuri was expected to join him for the night. And when that realization sunk in, Otabek was suddenly everything but tired. 

  


Yuri seemed to feel similar. 

  


He followed Otabek with a wave to his parents before he slipped through the door to the guest suite that was now more or less Otabek’s private quarter. The family could afford to permanently gift the room to him even if he only resided there a few days a year. 

  


With an unusual nervousness, Otabek looked at his groom. 

  


“Well.” 

  


“Well.” 

  


“Looks like we are married.” 

  


“Yeah.” 

  


They stared at each other for another tense moment, before they both erupted into howling laughter. They pulled it off. They tricked their parents into whatever this was. No last-minute objections, no drama, no unnecessary bullshit, aside from Yuri’s dress. 

  


The younger man walked over to the bed and slumped down on it. “If you want me to, I can sneak into my room later on. Don’t worry, I won’t force you to share a bed with me.” 

  


Otabek shrugged. “You’re my best friend, Yuri. I don’t care if you sleep here or over there. If you leave, they might find out and start some shit, though. I can sleep on the sofa?” 

  


“Don’t you fucking dare to sleep on the sofa, Otabek Altin. This is your room and my family got you into this position. If someone is going to sleep on a sofa, it’ll be me.” 

  


Otabek shook his head. Yuri started to deliver a heartfelt ‘ _I am not your damsel in distress, Altin’_ speech when he took Yuri’s hand and effectively silenced him. “We can both sleep in the bed. We are grown men. Yes?” 

  


Yuri blushed, then nodded. He gave Otabek a tiny smile and whispered ‘ _grown men_ ,’ apparently more to himself than to his husband. He slipped from the room and returned a few moments later in long pajamas. 

  


Now it was Otabek who blushed. “Do you, ehm, mind if I … I didn’t bring pajamas, and I usually sleep in boxer shorts and—” 

  


He received a mocking but gentle look from Yuri. “Don’t worry. I won’t climb you once you pass out, Beka. I know you aren’t exactly into what I have to offer down there.” 

  


For a second, Otabek was so enraptured with Yuri’s use of the diminutive, his words didn’t sink in. But when they did … “I’m gay, Yura. Not gay for penises. Gay for men.” 

  


There was another funny expression on Yuri, then he smiled, the look on his face melting into something incredibly tender. Usually, his expression was guarded, but right now, it was incredibly soft, and Otabek smiled back. He assumed it felt nice to be recognized as what he was after such a long time. Or maybe it was the nickname, he couldn’t be sure. 

  


All he knew was that Yuri didn’t shuffle away from the middle of the bed before he fell asleep, so obviously, he didn’t mind being close.

  


\----------

  


During the next few days, they were no longer forced into wedding attire. Otabek was still wearing a suit, and Yuri was still in a dress, but they were loose and long enough to hide his legs. He mentioned he felt better in clothes not clinging to his body. 

  


Their families ran around them at all times, and they barely had a moment to breathe because everyone wanted to involve them in games. Yuri was the youngest in his family. Therefore, most of the games were more focused on adults as a target audience, but it was still fun for the most part. Yuri had been running around the foyer for half an hour, picking up the money that was dropped there constantly by more and more guests. Otabek had no idea what kind of weird, misogynistic tradition that was, but Yuri was smiling for the most of it, so he considered it okay. 

  


But Yuri lost his smile when two big jars were brought out. One was pink, the other one was blue. Just to make it abundantly clear, their families had painted the signs of “male” and “female” onto them. 

  


Otabek recognized them from a list of potential wedding games he wanted to send to Yuri and that he threw out exactly for that reason. 

  
Alexander got a microphone and leaned over the table he was sitting at, his whole face lit up with a bright smile. “My beautiful Yuri is finally a real woman now! And what do real women do?” He laughed and the room laughed with him. No one needed to answer the question out loud. They were all thinking the same thing anyway. 

  


Next to Otabek, Yuri hissed and curled a little more into himself. He wrapped his arm protectively around his friend. When he was sure no one would hear him, Otabek leaned in and whispered into Yuri’s ear, “You are not a woman. I don’t expect you to be one. I don’t want you to be one.”

  


The tight bundle in his arms loosened slightly. 

  


When the families began to bet if their firstborn would be a boy or a girl, Otabek guided his husband out of the room and onto a balcony looking across the garden. “You know women aren’t determined by their uterus and men aren’t determined by their—” 

  


“I know what you are trying to do, Beka. And I appreciate it. I really do. But quit it. Please. My body will never belong to me and neither will the expectations everyone places on me. They will never align with who and what I am. And while I am grateful for your support … Please don’t keep reminding me of that. Okay?” Yuri looked sadder than Otabek had seen him in a long time. 

  


Otabek thought it was cruel. It was their wedding. They should be in there with their families. Laughing. Drinking. Celebrating. They shouldn’t hide on the balcony because their guests insisted on playing a game that was shaking Yuri’s dysphoria up. 

  


Since Yuri made it very clear that he was not planning to talk about the situation, Otabek simply walked back into the room and grabbed two champagne flutes. When he returned to the balustrade, he handed one to his husband. 

  


“Shit, I thought you just walked away.” 

  


Were those tears in Yuri’s eyes? Otabek wanted to brush them away. Maybe kiss him and make Yuri smile again. But that was too much, wasn’t it? Friends didn’t kiss away friend’s tears. But regardless of those weird wishes he had to think about later, he tilted his head. “Why would I walk away from you?” 

  


“I could give you a hundred reasons.” 

  


“I could find a thousand to stay.” 

  


Yuri chuckled and drowned his champagne. “Careful, Altin or I’ll think you are _actually_ flirting with me.” He turned and walked back in, but the way he craned his neck to look at Otabek before Yuri disappeared told him everything he needed to know. Yuri might have been overwhelmed, but he did not want to be alone. 

  


When they returned to the table, Otabek was delighted to find that the bidding had stopped and everyone was talking to each other. His own family got along splendidly with the Plisetskys. Otabek watched them eat and drink and laugh. He was content to be silent and simply watch everyone interact when suddenly Yuri plopped into his lap. 

  


The man was a little more intoxicated by now and grinned evilly. “Do you already regret marrying me?” 

  


“No? Why would I?” 

  


“Because we are about to enter the gross part.” Otabek frowned. He had no idea what was going on. “I hope you are a good actor, Beka. Next up are the wedding toasts.” 

  


He still saw no problem with that. “So?” 

  


Yuri wrapped his arms around Otabek’s neck. He still had that grin on his lips that made Otabek feel uneasy in a way he couldn’t explain. “In Russia, wedding toasts are often wrapped up by shouting ‘Gorko’, so … ‘bitter’.” Yuri tilted his head and looked him deep in the eyes. “This is considered the signal for the bride and groom to kiss. Because the sweetness of the kiss will ease the bitterness of the shots.” 

  


So they had to kiss again. That was not a big deal, right? They managed little kisses to the corners of each other’s mouths before. It wouldn’t be too intimate if they didn’t force it to be. 

  


“That is where we are fucked, basically.” Yuri was still grinning. Now he licked his lip, too and Otabek was sure that he had too much champagne. Before he could delve into those thoughts, though, Yuri continued to elaborate. “The guests will count out loud for how long we kiss. This is supposed to show the strength of our love for one another. So … I’m afraid we owe them a nice little show.” 

  


So that was why Yuri was sitting in his lap, acting all seductively. He wanted to be convincing. 

  


Otabek swallowed and nodded. He would manage. For their sake. Or the sake of their families. He wasn’t entirely sure. But to be honest, he could imagine worse things than having to kiss the beautiful man in his lap. 

  


_Shit. Stop thinking like this. Yuri doesn’t like you like this._

  


Just because Yuri was marrying him, did not mean he was gay. After all, Otabek seemed to marry a woman, and he wasn’t straight either. Yuri probably only put up with this so his family would let him off the hook. 

  


\----------

  


"… and that is why I think Yuri and Otabek truly deserve each other." 

_Soon._

_Soon._

_Soon._

  


"GORKO!" 

_Now._

  


Otabek turned his head to Yuri and gave him what he hoped was a reassuring smile but had any possibility to be a horrible grimace. The way Yuri's eyes crinkled with amusement indicated he was at least not afraid of Otabek. So that was a win in his book. 

  


They both tilted their heads towards each other at the same moment. The following liplock felt almost natural. Now all they had to do was keep kissing until the people would be satisfied. But Yuri's family was cruel and counted slowly. They wanted to see more than a chase kiss, as it seemed, but Otabek was scared to open his lips even the slightest bit. 

  


So it turned out to be quite awkward. At least for him. The rest of the guests seemed to think this was great fun. Yuri was laughing, too, once they managed to unglue themselves from each other. So not everything was terrible. 

  


\---------

  


The festivities continued longer than Otabek wanted them to, but he didn't really have a say in this. Marrying the heir of a giant Russian oil empire meant accepting their traditions and playing along. 

  


Every day there were festivities with different kinds of guests and requested attire. Some with family in a relaxed, open setting, some with business associates, and strict guidelines. 

  


Otabek wasn't new to formal functions, but what surprised him was the knowledge that Yuri was not either. At least in theory. Despite being forced to drop out of the education system earlier than he liked, Yuri was aware of the essential partnerships and deals his father had his hands in. More than once, he tipped Otabek off when it came to business decisions. 

  


That's what they did at night in bed. Instead of kissing and cuddling, they lay facing each other and discussed politics and work. Alexander tried to keep Yuri away from the business side of things. Because he was _'a girl.'_

  


Even if that had been correct, it didn't mean Yuri had no idea how to handle business. 

  


Another night, they discussed the future. Yuri would move to America with him, live in one of Otabek's guest rooms. He would go back to school and get the degree he always wanted. And Yuri would continue to dance. That seemed to be everything he wanted in life, and Otabek was floored by how little Yuri needed to feel content. Even though he came from serious money. 

  


They spoke about Otabek, too. About his family and their expectations. About how to cat-proof his apartment. Because there was no way Yuri would leave Potya behind. 

  


The topic changed to love and previous crushes and why nothing ever worked out. Yuri told Otabek that he never had a relationship before because he couldn't stand the idea of allowing someone close to him. Otabek spoke about past lovers and hidden relationships, small kisses, and secret romance. Yuri kept asking about things, wanting to know more and more even though his eyes turned sadder with every story Otabek told. Later he realized it was probably because Yuri hadn't been in love, and now he was disappointed about missing out. Or longing for the same experiences. 

  


They did not speak about kids. 

  


\---------- 

  


It was the last day of the wedding activities, and they were once again between their family members and close friends. 

  


Before everyone would finally go home and they were done with the ordeal, there was one last tradition they wanted to honor. 

  


Otabek and Yuri were handed a loaf of bread. He knew it would be salty if he bit into it. The newlyweds locked eyes and smiled. Yuri broke off two pieces of similar size and handed one to Otabek. On a silent count of three, they mushed it into each other's mouths, and even though Otabek cringed because of the taste, he ate the whole bite. Just like Yuri. 

  


Their families gaped at them, but Yuri laughed and tucked himself beneath Beka's arm, ignoring the surprise of his relatives. 

  


They discussed and planned this before, and things were exactly like they wanted them to be. 

  


_Superstition said the person who took the bigger bite would become the head of their future household._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So they got through the wedding! And it went relatively well, don't you think?  
> I loved researching this because I knew nothing about Russian weddings before. If I screwed something up, though, please let me know! 
> 
> Thank you for reading, and I hope to hear from you!  
> I'm also on  
> tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/venom-for-free  
> instagram: https://www.instagram.com/venom_for_free/  
> or twitter: https://twitter.com/venom_for_free


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recap Chapter 3:  
> They had a traditional wedding in Russia with festivities at the church, an official registration, their grand tour and a party with different games in Russia.

Leaving Russia felt weird. Otabek had been there for so long, it seemed natural to wake up next to his best friend. But duty called, and Yuri had to get ready for the move across the ocean. They decided to postpone any future honeymoon in favor of getting their married life sorted out. 

At the airport, they gave each other a quick but warm kiss, and then Yuri, Alexander, and Ekaterina waved off Otabek's family and an hour later, Otabek and Leo. 

Now that they had left Russian ground, Leo's eyes locked onto him. Otabek could see there was a question he had been holding back the whole time, and he had a good idea of what that question was. 

"Go ahead." 

"YOU'RE GAY." It broke out of Leo like a waterfall. He stared with blown eyes as if holding it in another minute would have killed him. 

"Yes." 

That only seemed to increase Leo's confusion. "You're not bi. Or pan. You're gay. Dicks only, right?!" 

" _Men_ only, yes." 

"That's the same." 

"That's not the same. There are men with vaginas and women with dicks. There are non-binary people outside of the spectrum and—" 

"BUT YURI IS A WOMAN?" 

Otabek was grateful they were seated in first class because even with the additional space between their seats, people were staring. 

He contemplated if he could do this. If he should. But Leo had been his best friend before Yuri stole the position overnight merely by existing. And Yuri would soon live with him. Otabek couldn't expect him to be okay with being misgendered in his own home. 

"Yuri has female genitalia. To my knowledge. I never checked. But it would make sense." 

"Waitwaitwaitwaitwait." Leo shook his head. "Come again? More slowly this time?" 

"Yuri was, unfortunately, born in a body that is equipped with the wrong tools. His words, not mine." 

"HIS?!" Otabek raised his eyebrows and gave Leo a long look as if he couldn't believe it took so long for the marbles in Leo's head to start rolling. "He's a boy?" Leo whispered as if it was something scandalous. 

"He's a _man_. But as you might have figured out, he's not out. And Russia won't exactly be accepting of him if he ever decides to change that." 

"So this was what—a fraud? You get to have a _'wife,'_ and he gets a _'husband'?"_ Otabek nodded. Finally. Leo understood. "Fuck me. What were the chances?!" 

"I know, right?" 

"I can't believe you fuckers found a loophole. Fuckers! Plural! She—HE! Him, too!" Leo sounded utterly delighted, and Otabek was glad he decided to tell his friend. Now Yuri had two people he could be himself around if he wanted to. "Fuck me, and what were the chances that you actually would fall in love, right?!" 

That made Otabek stop in his thoughts. Had they really been that convincing? "Yuri is my friend. A very good friend, maybe my best, but … we aren't in love. We aren't dating or anything. It's just … freedom for both of us, I guess?" 

Leo gave him a very weird look. Why was everyone looking at him so weirdly recently? Then, Leo nodded. "Oh … kaaaay." He grinned and patted Otabek's shoulder. 

"You're a lucky bastard, Altin. I'm happy for you." 

\--------- 

He was early. Too early. The first group of people left the baggage claim, but Otabek knew Yuri would have to retrieve Potya and that could take forever if he—His brain interrupted itself when he saw a young person with a cat carrier struggling with multiple big bags of luggage. Leo and him hurried over immediately. 

Yuri looked like shit. It was apparent he'd been trapped in a plane for many hours. The way Potya was screeching and trying to scratch him through the locked cage made it evident that he hadn't gotten a minute of rest. 

"You're already here." Otabek still smiled at him and cupped his face. Next to him, Leo smirked. 

Yuri didn't care, he leaned into the touch. "Potya traveled as a normal passenger. She even has her own luggage. But I could say the same thing about you." 

"Had to make sure my husband is taken care of." Maybe it was a little cheesy, but Yuri would understand his humor, right? 

But when Otabek looked into his eyes, he realized Yuri was far from laughing. Instead, he looked up at Otabek, his eyes frozen open in a silent scream. Then, Yuri's gaze slid over to Leo as if he wanted to see if the other man heard. 

Leo grinned and deftly slapped his hand on Yuri's delicate looking shoulder. "Welcome to America, dude. It's nice to have you here." He bumped Otabek gently with his shoulder, but Leo's eyes remained on Yuri. "Beks said you prefer male pronouns. Are you okay with me addressing you like this? In private, I mean, not in public if you don't want to?" 

And just like that, Yuri began to cry. 

Otabek barely managed to catch the cat carrier, followed by a much bigger weight slumping against him. 

"Wooooh there!" Leo raised his arms in shock. "Did I say something wrong? Was that insensitive? Shit, Yuri! I'm so sorry. I swear I'm not normally—" 

"No!" Yuri turned his face to the side, looking at Leo and shaking his head vigorously. "No. Please. Please call me _'he.'_ " 

He was still resting against Otabek's chest, hair a mess, and face puffy, but Otabek finally managed to recognize his tears as an expression of happiness. He gave Yuri a half hug with the arm that wasn't holding on to Potya. "Well … Let's go home?" 

\----------

When Yuri's luggage was stored in Leo's car, and after he said his temporary goodbye to Potya, he climbed onto Otabek's bike. 

"God. I love your Harley." 

"The only lady in his life!" Leo chimed in from the side, grinning wide before he noticed Yuri's confused look. "Too much?" 

Now Yuri laughed, finally getting what he meant. "Nah. You're good. Just … don't overdo it?" 

Leo nodded, ears a little red, and returned to his car. 

"I should have asked first. I'm sorry. But he asked me. Leo knows I'm gay, so he was confused. And I wanted him to know so you wouldn't have to hide, but … I should have asked first." 

Yuri shook his head. "I'm glad you didn't because I would have said no. I'm… people aren't that open in Russia, you know that. I wouldn't have thought this possible. So … yeah. You should have asked first. But in this particular case, I'm happy you didn't. I trust you and your judgment, _Beks_." 

Otabek rolled his eyes but grinned all the same. "Is this my punishment?" 

"Depends." Yuri clipped his helmet into place and wrapped his arms around Otabek. "Do you like it?" 

\----------

Yuri walked through Otabek's apartment as if he was dreaming. He looked so … curious. Otabek would have called him adorable, but he knew he'd be kicked for that. 

His new home was very different from the estate. Where Russia was very traditional, all bricks and stone and extensive gardens, America was concrete and glass and floor-length windows. The apartment was obviously much smaller, too. However, it was still far too big for one person or even two by usual standards. 

Otabek always enjoyed solitude, but Yuri somehow didn't disrupt his thoughts. They melted around each other in a way he hadn't expected to ever happen. 

Once he was done checking out all the rooms, Yuri returned to the living room, cat carrier in hand. "And you're SURE everything is cat proofed?" 

"I spent the entire last week watching every tutorial there is, cleaning things away, making sure she can't hurt herself, fastening what could tip over … we could let a toddler loose in here." 

"Cats are worse than toddlers." 

Yuri whipped his head around and glared at Leo. "Take that back!" 

"All I'm saying is that toddlers won't usually pee in your training bag. Or knock over your water glasses, and scratch every piece of furniture you own. Just to wake you for food by pressing their assholes into your face." 

Otabek was utterly horrified. "THEY DO THAT?" 

Immediately, Yuri was at his side, hugging him and making shushing noises. "Nooo nonono ... my Potya is an angel. Don't worry. She'd never do something like this to you …" He shook his head and gave Otabek a sweet, reassuring smile. "Do you want to set her loose?" 

"No? I'm not sure after what Leo said." 

"Oh, come on, it won't be that bad. Cats are very, very clean animals! And she likes you!" 

Five minutes after her release, Potya had thrown over a glass vase and dug up a plant. Yuri gave him a pained smile and dropped the last shards of glass into a carton and then into a trash bag. 

"Remember, Beka … every shard represents a year of happy marriage." 

\--------- 

It was late in the afternoon when Yuri finally settled on the sofa. It took a while to sort through his possessions and decide on what he wanted to put away immediately and what could wait. 

He rolled his shoulders and gave Otabek and Leo a weak smile. "Don't worry. I'll cook something in a minute. Just tell me what you have." 

"Cook something?" Leo's mouth fell open, and he looked like he wanted to ask if he could stay for the night. 

"Uhm, duh? I don't see any staff around, and I'm not going to eat any frozen pizza. Not tonight. My body needs actual food and—" 

"And it needs rest. You just relax for a damn minute, and I'll cook. Does anyone want tea?" Otabek was already on his way into the kitchen when he heard Yuri's completely incredulous voice. 

" _YOU CAN COOK?!"_

He turned and shrugged at his best friend. "Why wouldn't I be able to, because I'm a man?" 

"Yuri’s a man, too, and he can also cook!" 

"Leo." 

"What? Too much again?" 

Yuri grinned at him, a little disbelieving but still overall friendly. "I can cook because I was raised as a girl. Traditional gender roles and such." 

"Yeah. And Beks can cook because he's not a misogynistic fuck." Leo grinned back, proud of his answer. 

Otabek decided this was enough and shook his head with a grin. " _Actually,_ I learned to cook because I'm gay, and I was scared to end up with a man like my father. If both of us were useless, we would die, trapped between take out containers and dirty dishes. I couldn't let that happen." 

Yuri's grin was so wide Otabek wondered if the corners of his mouth would tear. "Daddy issues, huh?" 

\-----------

During dinner, Otabek realized that Yuri kept checking his reflection in the glass panels. Something seemed to be bothering him, but Otabek hadn't managed to make out what that was yet. 

"Does your long hair ever bother you?" Leo must have noticed Yuri's fidgeting, too. 

"Oh fuck, all the time. I hate it. And I love it. It's charming but like … for a woman." 

"Why don't you cut it?" 

"Ha. Yeah. Sure. My parents would kill me." 

Otabek was about to ask who was the one with the Daddy issues now, when he realized that answer would be incredibly inappropriate. Instead, he smiled at Yuri. "You are aware this isn't their decision anymore, right?" 

The younger man turned his head like a broken doll. He fixated on Otabek, then whispered to himself when the realization hit him. "After the wedding, the husband gets to decide what the wife looks like, not the parents." 

"Not the parents. And since _you_ are _'the husband,'_ too …" 

Yuri bit his lip. His eyes were big with disbelief. "Are you saying I can cut my hair however I want?" 

"And dress however you want. Meet whoever you like, look however you prefer … America is supposed to be the land of the free, isn't it?" 

Yuri jumped up, causing Potya to fall from his lap as he all but ran into the bathroom. Otabek learned that Yuri had grabbed the scissors from the kitchen counter when he followed him. 

There he was, standing in front of the mirror, laughing like a maniac as he chopped off strand after strand of hair. Half of his hair was in a bowl cut, the other half still fell to his waist. Otabek began taking photos. 

"ARE YOU GOING TO SEND THOSE TO MY—" 

"No. I just want to make sure you have a memory of this day." 

Yuri's smile exploded across his face, and he chopped off the rest, too. 

"What now?" 

"I have no idea. But I love it!" 

"Do you want an undercut?" 

"Like you?" Yuri's reflection smirked at him. "Sure, I'd love to look like a fuckboy. And if it goes wrong, I'll at least look like a hot lesbian." Otabek laughed and grabbed the clippers. 

\---------- 

"I'm an abomination. I can't ever go out again. I look like Ellen DeGeneres." 

"A lot of lesbians would love that look." 

"I'm not a lesbian!" 

"But you said—" 

"I KNOW WHAT I SAID! PUT MY HAIR BACK!" Yuri looked like he was about to cry as he tugged on the short hair. It looked good, Otabek thought. But obviously, Yuri felt different. "I should have kept some of it. There are men with long hair, right?! Leo has long hair!" 

"It'll grow back. You're going to be okay." 

Yuri took a shuddering breath and brushed his hand over the buzzcut. Then he nodded. "I'm going to be okay." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading, and I would love to hear from you!  
> I'm also on  
> tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/venom-for-free  
> instagram: https://www.instagram.com/venom_for_free/  
> or twitter: https://twitter.com/venom_for_free


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recap chapter 4: Leo finds out Yuri is actually a boy, Yuri moves to America and is picked up from the airport by the boys. Potya is introduced to her new home. They find out both of them can cook and Yuri gets a nice little undercut.

Before they went to bed that night, Otabek asked Yuri if they could talk. Leo was already gone. Yuri trotted into his room, and Otabek startled because  _ yes _ , the new hair looked good, but it also looked  _ very different.  _

Yuri glared at him, and Otabek apologized as he scooted over so Yuri could sit down. He was wearing silky pajamas, and the contrast between his new hair and his old body made Otabek blink a few times. 

"Do you want me to get a binder?" 

"Mhmm?" 

"A binder. They make your chest flat. Would you be more comfortable with that?" 

He almost fell out of bed at the question. "Why is it important if I'm comfortable?! It's your body!" 

"I know, but … you're kind of staring." 

"Shit. Oh my god, I'm sorry, Yuri. I didn't mean to. It's just …" 

"Do they disgust you?" 

"Your breasts?!" 

"No, my toenails. Of course my breasts!" Yuri sounded unusually defensive and closed off. Otabek hated it, mostly because he felt responsible. If he was the reason Yuri was dysphoric, he had no idea how to forgive himself. 

Otabek slowly shook his head.

He kept his eyes directly on Yuri's face to make sure he wouldn't offend or trigger him accidentally. "Nothing about you disgusts me." 

Yuri's gaze softened a little, and he bit his lip. "Not even my fuckboy haircut?" 

That forced a chuckle out of Otabek. "Nah. Though I think longer hair would be just as pret— handsome." 

Yuri seemed to think about this for a moment before he answered. "You … can say  _ 'pretty.' _ I don't think being feminine is wrong. I just don't  _ feel _ like a woman. But I'm not insulted to be considered as one or anything. It's just … also pleasant to be treated as a man." 

Otabek nodded gently. "I know some trans folks from university. But that doesn't mean they experience things the same way you do, so … if I fuck up … please let me know?" 

Yuri nodded back with a soft smile. "Thank you for making an effort."

They sat in silence for a moment, and Yuri looked around the room. He had seen some of it during the tour earlier, but now he had actual time to understand what he saw and make sense of it. Which was why Otabek didn't interrupt him. 

Yuri eventually stood up and picked books out from the bookshelf. "English. Russian. Kazakh. How many languages do you speak?" 

"Only those." 

Yuri nodded. "For me, it's Russian and English." 

Otabek knew that already because they spoke Russian with each other and English with Leo. He had been delighted to hear how good Yuri's English was, though. Probably because he came from a wealthy family. 

Yuri hummed and walked through the room. From a shelf, he grabbed a family photo. "All your sisters and your parents. And there's you. Little Beka. Well, not little. But younger. You look so cute with Medina in your arms" Yuri brushed a finger over their faces and smiled. 

Then, his expression turned bitter, and he put the photo back. "What are those?" 

"Medals." 

"I can see that. What are they for?" 

Otabek smiled and stood, plucking one from the wall to show to Yuri. "I used to skate as a child. But I was terrible at ballet, and the world wasn't ready for a breakdancing figure skater." He handed it over so Yuri could read the inscription. 

"Shit, Altin. You skated? You even tried ballet? And never mentioned any of it when I told you I dance?" 

Otabek huffed and hung the medal back up. "Did you think I know how to dance because I'm so well versed in everything?" 

"You can cook. Stranger things have happened." 

"You didn't know I could cook when we got married and danced." 

"I knew next to nothing about you when we met, the mere basics when we got engaged, and only that you wouldn't try to stick your dick into my pussy when we wed each other. That was enough for me, and that's still enough for me now. But you aren’t only that. You aren’t just the absence of things. You're also handsome, my best friend, good to my cat, a talented cook, and apparently an ex-athlete. But all that is just a bonus. A big one, admittedly." Yuri winked and turned back to the bed, plopping down on the mattress once more. "You wanted to talk to me?" 

Otabek blushed. He knew because there was warmth creeping up his face. But nonetheless, he planned to go through with this. "I got you something." 

"Oh?" Yuri tilted his head when Otabek gave him a small package wrapped in paper with a terribly loud animal print. "Shit, you know me so well." 

"I hope you will still think that when you open it." 

"What is it for?" 

"You." 

"Yeah, okay. But like, what occasion?" 

"You. Being here. Being yourself. I don't know. Just … try not to hate me if you don't like it, okay? I promise I had the best intentions, but I realized after the conversation about your—" He gestured vaguely at Yuri's chest. 

"My breasts?" 

"Yeah. After that … I am not sure if this is offensive." 

"I swear to God, Beka, if you bought me a bra—" 

"No! Fuck no. No. That's … oh my God, no." 

"No need to overreact like this." 

Otabek shut his mouth and chewed on his lip. He felt like he couldn't say the right thing even though he tried. 

"I'm going to open it now?" 

He nodded. Otabek wondered if it would look childish to hide behind his hands so he wouldn't have to see Yuri's reaction. The longer he thought about it, the worse he felt. And the expression of pure shock on Yuri's face didn’t help ease his nervousness. 

"Are you fucking kidding me? Do you think this is funny?! Do you think this is cute, Otabek? What kind of sick fucking joke is this?!" 

"Yura—" 

"No!" Otabek had to dodge the flying box so it wouldn't hit his face. "You aren't sure this is offensive? YOU AREN'T SURE? ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME? I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN NO ONE IS THAT UNDERSTANDING!" 

Yuri stormed out of the room and slammed his door, while Otabek sat on the bed, stunned. He knew it might have been a bad idea, but … he hadn't expected it to escalate that much. He stared at the gift on his bed. Was it that bad? Otabek had read up on the topic, and had hoped it was something helpful, but … 

Should he run after him? Or let him be? Otabek realized he still knew next to nothing about the man he married. But there was only one way to learn more.

Otabek grabbed the box again and walked up to Yuri's bedroom door. He was crying inside. Fuck. Had Otabek fucked up that badly? He knocked. 

"FUCK OFF, YOU SICK FUCK!" 

"Yura, please—" 

"DON'T CALL ME THAT! YOU DON'T DESERVE THAT NAME!" 

"Please let me explain! I'm … I hope this is a misunderstanding … please let me explain my thoughts …" 

The door opened, and Yuri was in his face. "A misunderstanding? A MISUNDERSTANDING? Fucking asshole, you gave me a dick in a box. How am I supposed to understand this?!" 

"IT'S A PACKER." Otabek stared at him with pleading eyes, willing Yuri to please,  _ please  _ listen to him. 

The younger man squinted, suspicion clearly painted across his features. "What the fuck is a packer?!" 

Otabek was incredibly grateful Yuri seemed ready to listen, even though anger radiated from him in waves. "A packer is … basically an artificial penis. It's worn inside the underwear to give the impression of a biological dick. I … read about them on forums about transsexuality. A lot of people said they help with their dysphoria … There are packers to insert into the underwear, and some are medical prostheses that one can fix to the body with skin adhesives … Yuri. Yura. Please believe me, I'm not mocking you. I'm … I was trying to help. You said you don't feel like your body is your own. So I thought … I hoped …" 

Yuri stared at him in disbelief. "You thought if I shoved something into my pants, I'd feel better?!" 

Otabek was about to cry. He meant well, but maybe he should have explained his intentions first. It hadn't even occurred to him that it could look like mockery, but now that he saw how angry Yuri was, he wondered how he ever thought this was a good idea. 

"I'm sorry. I'm … I'm so sorry. Throw it away. Give it to me so I can throw it away. I don't care. Just, please. Please know that I … fuck." Otabek didn't consider himself to be overly emotional. Still, he could do nothing about the tears running down his face. 

For a moment, Yuri just stared. Then he cursed and swiped his thumb underneath Otabek's eyes. "Okay, so … you took a sentence from me about my discomfort? And you … actively tried to research how to help me? And then you got out there and bought me a gift to make me feel better, even though you don't know much about the situation, but you wanted me to … feel like my body belongs to me?" 

Otabek nodded carefully. 

"And then you got yelled and screamed at? While I threw your thoughtful gift at you because I was so fucking full of myself, I couldn't listen to you for a single freaking minute? Without assuming you're the lowest scum, even though you did more for me than anyone else?" Yuri was still wiping away his tears. 

"What?" That description made it sound like Yuri was the asshole when in fact Otabek had— 

"Fuck … I'm sorry, okay? I shouldn't have screamed at you. Or thrown something. Or … fucking shit, I should have just listened for one minute, but I've always been like this. Too hot-headed. I'm —" 

"It's my fault, Yuri." 

Otabek's best friend blinked up at him, looking as if he was completely thrown off the loop. "Fuck me, you really think that, don't you? Oh god. Damn it, Beka. What did they do to you?" 

"They?" 

"Your parents or whoever instilled in you that every bad thing is your fault and that you should apologize even when you're right."

"No one taught me that." 

"Oh, so you're just a saint all by yourself, huh?" Yuri sighed and brushed a hand over his face. "That's … the most thoughtful gift I’ve ever received, and all I did was behave like an asshole …" 

"I should have told you before. It's really my fault." 

Yuri shook his head and sighed. "Go to bed, Beka. I'll go, too. I'm sorry. It's … this day was too much for me. I didn't mean to hurt you, and I didn't want to overreact. It's just … I'm sensitive towards this topic." 

Otabek nodded and straightened his back. "Good night, Yura." 

"Good night, Beka." 

\----------- 

The first two weeks after that were generally comfortable. Potya tried to break whatever she could. She also peed in a gym bag, as Leo had foretold. 

But aside from that, life was good. Yuri and Otabek cooked in tandem. They explored the city together, which was fun because Otabek learned things he hadn't previously known. Leo visited twice and brought beer and steak. Yuri kept grinning about Leo's overambitious attempts to make him feel manly, but he appreciated them. Although, he drew the line at a Mountain Dew snapback cap. 

They also bought new clothes for Yuri and even ritually burned one of his dresses in the bathtub, which resulted in a screaming fire alarm and an angry letter from the landlord. 

Otabek noticed Yuri was wearing his gift, paired with jeans so tight, everyone else had to acknowledge it, too. But that couldn't prevent him from finding Yuri curled up on the bathroom floor on a Wednesday afternoon during their third week. That was when Otabek learned that periods were the top cause of the highest score on the dysphoria scale for Yuri. 

Under tears of shame, Yuri explained that he couldn't use tampons, he  _ couldn't _ , but seeing the blood on pads made him want to throw up, too. 

That was the first time they spoke about gender reassignment surgery. 

Yuri insisted his chest was fine the way it was. Though his breasts were noticeable if he wore tight clothes, years of dancing kept them surprisingly flat. His problem was in his underwear, and although Yuri  _ loved _ the packer by now, the bleeding was hard to ignore. 

"You could always just take hormones … if you want to?" 

"If my fleshy skeleton transporter changes the slightest bit more, my father will have a stroke, and I'd like to avoid that." A Skype date forced Yuri to reveal his new haircut. To no one's surprise, his parents hated it but didn't dare to question Otabek's decision. 

"There are birth control pills that suppress the development of uterine lining tissue. Therefore… no periods." 

Yuri looked at him with big eyes, then immediately made an appointment with the next available gynecologist. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo. We learned a little about Otabek's past and Yuri's feelings towards his body.   
> They have their first clash but for once they communicate and work it out.   
> How did you feel about the situation? Did his gift go too far? 
> 
> Thank you for reading, and I hope to hear from you!  
> I'm also on  
> tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/venom-for-free  
> instagram: https://www.instagram.com/venom_for_free/  
> or twitter: https://twitter.com/venom_for_free


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recap chapter 5: They talk about Yuri's body and Otabek tries to help. Yuri learns more about who Otabek is by examining his room. Otabek gifts him a packer and Yuri freaks out because he doesn't understand at first. They work through it. Otabek learns more about his friend's dysphoria and their life becomes pretty domestic.

When Yuri started school again, it happened with a university art program. He found purpose in it, made friends with other young people, and suddenly lived in social circles that addressed him with his chosen pronouns. He wouldn't stop expressing how much better this was than in Russia. 

Otabek came home from work after Yuri was already back because Yuri's schedule was both relatively empty and flexible. So the younger man made sure to cook whenever he could and joked about being Otabek's housewife. 

If someone misgendered him, Otabek corrected them even before Yuri could. He introduced his best friend as his husband on more than one occasion, and Yuri later admitted that he didn't mind. With the way he blushed, Otabek mused, maybe he even liked it. 

On a Friday evening, there was a knock on his bedroom door. After Yuri was asked in, Otabek noticed how shy he looked. And how good. His hair had grown out again. Not a lot, but enough to be able to put a hair tie in it and hold at least the upper part. Yuri's family was delighted. 

Otabek smiled at the other man and moved beneath the covers so Yuri could sit down without feeling crowded. "Hey." 

"Hey." 

"Mom and dad want to call." 

"Sounds fun. Give them my greetings?" 

"Well … that's kind of why I'm here?" Yuri chewed his lip, a little tick he had when he was nervous. Otabek considered it endearing. So much so that he sometimes caught himself imitating it. 

"Oh?" 

"They have been asking if we are fighting because I always call alone. They think you don't want me anymore because I look like a boy. Which I consider a compliment, by the way." 

Otabek snorted. "What's the plan then?" 

Yuri fidgeted, unusually nervous, even though he was a straightforward person in most situations. "Can I … like, lay down next to you? Only for the Skype call! You can pretend you are asleep? Please. Just so they don't worry so much. Or else they'll insist on coming over to ensure I'm fulfilling my  _ 'duties as your wife.' _ " 

Otabek nodded immediately and lifted the blanket. "Don't worry, I'm wearing pants." 

"In bed?!" 

"Leave me alone." 

Yuri chuckled, then slipped beneath the sheets. "Are you okay with me taking off my shirt? So it looks like …" 

"You want to give them the  _ 'we recently fucked' _ look?! That's bold, even for you, Altin." For some reason, though Otabek still had to figure out why, Yuri loved it when he called him that, so he made sure to pepper it in from time to time. 

The younger man nodded enthusiastically. "If that's okay for you? I'm wearing my binder. I won't flash you." 

"I told you, I'm not afraid of breasts." 

"You also told me you're 1,70m. So clearly, I can't trust you. By the way. No matter how bad my dysphoria gets and how hard I wish to be taller ... I just look at you and feel better." 

"Because I'm your best friend?" 

"Because you're tiny." 

"Fuck you." 

Yuri laughed and disappeared beneath the blanket. He even made sure to ruffle his hair, and for good measure, Otabek's, too. And not a moment too early because the call came in when he was settling his head on Otabek's chest. 

"Hi, Mom, Dad!" He beamed into the camera, and they both looked incredibly uncomfortable. 

"Hi Sasha and Katya. Sorry, we kind of forgot the time. How are you?" 

Yuri raised his chin from Otabek's chest to smile at him. Though he said Otabek could pretend to sleep, this was much more fun. 

There was silence on the other side of the phone for a few more seconds, then Alexander cleared his throat. "Are … you two busy?" He smiled, but it looked a little pained. 

"Oh no, no. We're fine. As I said, we just forgot the time. Beka and I were just about to go to sleep. Good thing you're calling now, or I would have turned my phone off. Anyway. I hope you'll have a great day! Love you! Say bye, Beka!" 

"Byyyye!" 

They both waved, and Yuri hung up before they could ask further questions. "Thanks, man. I owe you." 

Otabek only laughed. "You do. My parents will call in two days—just so you know." 

\---------- 

The next day, Otabek promised to take Yuri out and show him the nightlife. They wanted to begin with a pub crawl and then go dancing. Yuri would meet with several of his university friends, and Otabek was excited to find out who those people were. He had met the occasional study partner in the last two months, but … this was a big chance for him to get to know people Yuri liked and to have a fun night out. 

Personally, he liked clubs more than bars. But he would live. 

Otabek was wearing dark jeans and a grey shirt, complimented by a black leather jacket. Yuri was in one of his hoodies and skin-tight pants with a somewhat noticeable bulge. His hair was held together by a thin, strained-looking tie and Yuri was buzzing with excess energy. Russia hadn't exactly offered many chances to go out. Especially not in his outfits of choice. 

They weren't taking the bike tonight because that didn't go well with the plan to get drunk. Instead, a taxi took them to the first bar, where they met Yuri's friends. 

Otabek was first introduced to Mila and Sara. The redhead was Russian, too. And a lesbian. So Yuri liking her was no surprise. Her girlfriend was Italian and brought her brother along. Michele looked so obviously  _ not  _ invited. There were more people, and Otabek was delighted to realize most of them were queer in one way or another. There was a Thai poly boy and a gay Korean. He had no idea what sexual orientation the Swiss man had, but  _ 'everything' _ still seemed not enough. Otabek personally took a liking to a younger Japanese man that Yuri preferred to call  _ 'nugget' _ and a tiny Chinese boy. 

They were introduced to him by name, but after the first three, his brain refused to learn more. He'd have to ask Yuri about them later. 

With Yuri linked through his arm, they went to the first bar, a small Irish pub they had to squeeze into, but Mila promised had great food and drinks. While Yuri was loudly complaining about  _ 'who the fuck went into a bar to order food?',  _ Otabek was already ordering some of the sweet potato fries and two beers. 

Once they were handed the drinks, Yuri smiled and took one before giving him a kiss on the cheek. Otabek grinned back, smile widening when Yuri mentioned they should have asked Leo to come over. 

Otabek recently learned that the beer with Leo had been his first one. And that Yuri hated it but soldiered through because that's what  _ ‘men drank’ _ . By now, he had an acquired taste for it, but whenever they had beer, he would think about Leo and his first day in America. 

"Do you want me to ask him to come over?" Yuri nodded and gave him a bright smile. Then he stole a freshly delivered fry. "I thought eating in a pub is stupid?" 

"No.  _ Ordering  _ food in a pub is stupid." He elbowed Otabek and took another fry with a sly grin. Otabek let him. 

_ 'Nugget' _ was smiling at them with big eyes and a strange expression that left his eyes shining. Otabek wondered if he was okay but would later learn he was touched by how  _ 'awesome and happy they looked together.'  _

While texting Leo, Otabek overheard the Japanese man asking Yuri when they started dating. He strained his ears to catch Yuri's answer because he was sure it would be somewhat rude and pretty hilarious. But instead, Yuri took more of his fries and tugged a necklace out of his hoodie, a chain holding his wedding band. He held it up to the other, winked, and then refused to say a word. 

Otabek felt the Japanese man’s eyes burning through him when he spotted a similar chain around Otabek's neck. With that, the discussion was over. He probably assumed Yuri and him got married to get easy citizenship for Yuri or something. But while that was a delightful side effect, someone with Yuri's status would have been welcomed with balloons and a champagne flute anyway. 

Most of the evening passed in a calm buzz. The drinking was everything but excessive. Everyone seemed to want a good time, not a crazy one. And Mila was right; the food and beer were excellent in the Irish pub. Both Otabek and Yuri decided to go back to the place on their own. 

The next bar was inspired by German breweries, containing giant barrels you could dine in instead of booths. It was the weirdest shit Otabek had seen in a while, but Yuri looked happy, so Otabek was happy too.

He learned the Swiss man was named Chris and that he had a boyfriend but that his partner worked a lot and consequently was never around. Apparently, it was okay, though, because they also were poly and pretty open in their relationship. He supposedly hooked up with the Thai boy from time to time. Chris mentioned their name, but Otabek was pretty sure that  _ 'Peachy'  _ wasn't really what he said. 

Just when Otabek was wondering why all of Yuri's friends were from across the globe and queer, Yuri explained that they met in two different university clubs. Basically, they were  _ 'the middle of a fucked up Venn diagram of those who can't speak properly and can't behave properly.'  _

Everyone seemed to be in amused agreement. Otabek talked for a while longer with Chris, but Yuri kept capturing his attention. Be it because he nudged him with his arm as he spoke animatedly or because he asked questions in between his conversations or because he was stealing Otabek's onion rings. It was cute that Yuri tried to integrate him continually, but Otabek enjoyed sitting back and listening. And moreover, he  _ was  _ having conversations on his own, so he wasn't wholly sure why Yuri would keep interrupting. 

In the third pub, Yuri seemed to get cold despite Otabek's hoodie. He kept hugging him and pressing his hands under Otabek's shirt. When he finally offered Yuri his leather jacket, the younger man beamed as if he won the lottery and refused to give it back for the rest of the night. 

"If you get cold, you'll have to hug me to stay warm." Yuri shrugged and wandered off to retrieve their drinks from the bar. 

He came back with a small bowl of pretzels locked in his mouth and a pint in both hands. After all of it was put on the high table, Yuri walked around Otabek and hugged him from behind. The jacket was wrapped around him as best as possible. Just like Yuri. 

_ Damn. He must be freezing. _

Otabek grinned when he noticed Yuri could rest his chin on his shoulder with no problems. Most of his life, he had hated how small he was, but Yuri seemed to delight in the possibility to hug him like this and be somewhat taller. So Otabek leaned back just to emphasize the point, and when Yuri kissed his cheek, he wondered if his best friend was drunk. 

Yuri stayed like this for the duration of their entire visit in the third pub. Even when he was drinking or eating, he did so around Otabek, never letting go. 

"Are you that cold?" Yuri looked at him with big eyes and nodded slowly. "But you already have my hoodie and my jacket. I'm here in a shirt, Yura. Are you sure you're not getting sick?" 

Chris grinned at them and leaned over the table. "You could always take him home and tuck him into bed." 

Otabek frowned and turned back to his best friend. "Do you want to go home?" 

With a swift shake of his head, Yuri declared  _ 'no.' _ He wanted to dance. So they would go and dance. Otabek was okay with this because Leo promised to meet them at the club. He was out with other friends that would join them there. 

It sounded like fun, and Otabek was ready to enjoy the night to the fullest. If only he didn’t have to worry about Yuri getting sick. 

\----------- 

The club was warm and stuffy. People were everywhere, and the dancefloor was a mess of grinding bodies. Yuri dragged him into their dance circle a few times, and Otabek happily indulged him, but at some point, all the contact with strangers became too much. 

So he sat down at the bar and watched his best friend dance with the other students. After a few minutes, Leo found him. He was obviously pretty tipsy already and accompanied by a beautiful woman and a guy that looked suspiciously like Otabek himself. 

Within a few minutes, a conversation developed. Once Leo decided to say hi to Yuri and take the woman with him to go dance, Otabek was left alone with the stranger. 

Jean was Canadian. That he already learned. He and Leo met through a band project a while back and had been friends ever since. Jean drank whiskey, not the cheap stuff, and didn't mind buying one for Otabek, too. And he was incredibly full of himself to the point where it was funny. 

So Otabek sat on his barstool and contently listened to the steady stream of tales coming from the other one's lips. At the same time, he continued to look out for Yuri. 

At least he had his jacket back. 

When the topic changed to music, Otabek engaged himself more into the conversation. Jean was apparently a singer, and although Otabek hadn't heard any of his songs yet, he fit the mold. 

He didn't register how close he had gotten to the other man to avoid screaming over the music until the space between them was artificially filled. Yuri stepped between his legs and all but draped himself over Otabek. 

Poor wasted boy. Otabek was sure he hadn't been drinking that much, especially for a Russian, but who knew. "Hey there." He smiled at his best friend turned husband, but Yuri wasn't looking at him. Instead, he was glaring at Otabek's companion. 

Jean was utterly unimpressed with the lapful of anger. "Oh. Hello there, princess. Here to steal your knight from me?" 

And that was the last thing he heard clearly between the commotion and the backstage doors closing behind them, Otabek's jacket tossed out by security as if it were garbage. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yuri and Beka bamboozle his parents, and Otabek is the biggest, most oblivious dumbass out there.  
> So everything is as it should be, isn't it? 
> 
> Special thanks to Surka, Sophie_skates_reads, KuraiOfAnagura, kurose_tadaomi, Aurucite and Rydactyl for repeatedly taking time out of their day to come and talk to me. I enjoy hearing from you guys" ♥ 
> 
> Thank you for reading, and I would love to hear from you!  
> I'm also on  
> tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/venom-for-free  
> instagram: https://www.instagram.com/venom_for_free/  
> or twitter: https://twitter.com/venom_for_free


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recap Chapter 6: Yuri goes to art school, life gets more and more domestic, Yuri's hair is getting longer again and he snuck into Beka's bed for the phonecall with his parents. They meet Yuri's friends and go out. Yuri flirts a lot but Beka is oblivious. Eventually, they encounter JJ, who Yuri gets into a quarrel with over the nickname "princess".

Yuri was feral. 

He was pacing the alleyway like a tiger in a cage, nursing his hurting knuckles. Cursing was intermingled with unclear mumbles whenever he stuck the tender parts of his hand into his mouth to soothe the swelling skin. "THAT'S FUCKING BULLSHIT! I DIDN'T START IT, HE DID!" A kick against the wall followed, but it was less than impressive because Yuri hissed and hobbled a little. 

Otabek was next to him in a heartbeat. "Did you hurt yourself?" 

"I'M FINE." 

"You're clearly not fine." 

Yuri hissed again, kicking the wall once more, but this time out of protest. "I said I'm fine! I don't need you to save me!" 

It was as if someone struck him in the face. "I'm not … trying to save you. I'm … I was just worried about you." 

"Oh yeah? And in there?"

"In there, I was worried, too. Shit, Yura! You decked a dude taller than both of us out of nothing!" 

"That was NOT out of nothing!" The fact that he was nursing his hand again wasn't exactly supporting the badass front Yuri tried to maintain. 

Otabek sighed. He shrugged his jacket back on, not missing Yuri's venomous glare. "I understand it pissed you off that he called you princess." 

Yuri stood still immediately and looked at him with disbelieving eyes. "That's what you think I'm pissed about?!" 

"It's not?" 

Big, green eyes blinked at him a few times. "Fuck, Altin. You're so fucking dense. You think you understand. But you understand nothing at all." 

Yuri turned and marched off into the night. Otabek quickly caught up with him and asked what that meant, but Yuri was silent as a grave. Back at home, he slipped into his room and closed the door without saying  _ 'good night.' _

\----------- 

The next morning was awfully typical and terribly distorted. When Otabek entered the kitchen, Yuri was already cooking. He had prepared a full breakfast but still wouldn't talk to him. Once everything was on the table between them, Yuri sat down and began to eat his toast. 

Otabek nursed his second cup of coffee when Yuri finally spoke. 

"What am I to you?" 

Well, that was easy. Otabek gave him a soft smile. "A pretty badass dude who somehow managed to knock out a guy one full head taller?" 

But Yuri shook his head. "What  _ am I  _ to you?" 

Huh? 

Hadn't he just answered that? Otabek tried again. "You're my best friend?!" 

Yuri nodded. That seemed to have been the correct answer. Good. Otabek smiled, but Yuri simply stood up to leave the room. 

"You'll get your hoodie back once the washing machine is done." And with that, the door to the guest bedroom closed again. 

\-----------

For two weeks, nothing happened. Literally nothing happened. Otabek went to work and Yuri went to university. They ate in silence and more often than not, they ate alone. Instead of watching movies together, they spend their evenings in their respective rooms. 

Otabek thought he was about to go crazy. 

Why? Why why why why why? 

They had been comfortable around each other. And then they went out and had a great night and Jean said some dumb shit and eventually they got thrown out of the club. But things like that happened. It was life. They were drunk and Yuri had been a bit impulsive, but that was no reason to hide in his room all day, every day. 

Maybe Otabek should do something about it. Maybe he should get Yuri to join him in some kind of activity. He looked through the big window in the living room, but his dark brooding was quickly disturbed by Potya clawing her way up his leg. 

That freaking cat. 

He rolled his eyes. Then he plucked her from his pants to usher her away. Maybe Otabek needed some time alone. Different alone time. Not with Yuri close enough to reach, but out of his grasp. 

Maybe he needed company. God, he had no idea where that came from. But technically … maybe getting out of the house would help him forget about the sulking man in his guest bedroom. 

Otabek wondered if he should ask him to come along. But in the end, he convinced himself it made no sense, so he went on his own. He was determined to enjoy this, just like he used to do before he met Yuri. 

\---------- 

Otabek did not enjoy his night out. He went to a bar he used to frequent because people weren't there to talk. It was quiet drinking, watching some game, hooking up in the toilet stalls. 

But this night, no one managed to capture his interest. And not only that. The beer tasted stale and sports couldn't hold his attention. From time to time, a mob of blond hair made him perk up, but that was it. 

Just to compensate, he drank too much. It hadn't happened in quite a while. If he was honest with himself, Otabek hadn't been drunk since he got married. Except for the one time Yuri and him shared some wine bottles on the bathroom floor because Yuri felt homesick and didn't know why. 

Now, as he stumbled through the door, he realised he was too loud. Not that it mattered. Yuri was sitting in the living room, wrapped in a too long hoodie Otabek only bought because he thought Yuri would look cute in it when he eventually stole it. He was right. 

The arms were too long and flopped around, and god damn the man was adorable. But his usually angelic face was distorted with an angry scowl. 

"Where the fuck have you been?!" 

Otabek sighed and tried to toe his shoes off, but he was so intoxicated, it looked more like helpless stumbling than actual planned movements. 

"Otabek! I asked you a question!" 

Oh. He hadn't answered, had he? "Out." 

Yuri seemed to foam. He jumped up, tossing the blanket off of himself and startling Potya in the process. "I saw that, you asshole!  _ Where  _ were you? Alone? In the middle of the night? Drunk off your ass, apparently?!" 

That was when Otabek said something very,  _ very  _ dumb. He didn't know how it slipped out, even the next morning he couldn't explain to himself where it came from, but he blurted "You're not my mom." 

And while  _ yes _ , it was technically correct, it was also just a dumb thing to say. Evident by Yuri roaring with anger. That, and the pillow that was tossed at him. Otabek considered himself lucky. The other item at arm's length was the whiskey tumbler. 

"FUCK YOU ALTIN! FUCK! YOU!" 

Yuri jumped up and ran to his room, but he was back out a minute later, struggling into proper pants, a small backpack was thrown over his shoulder. 

Otabek frowned. Where was Yuri going? Especially this late? His stomach churned and he felt incredibly uneasy. He really had too much, hadn't he? 

With a quick but very inelegant move, Otabek caught his arm. "Why are you leaving?" 

Yuri shook his head in disbelief. "What do you  _ think _ , fucker?!" He jerked his arm free and turned to the door again. 

Otabek had to try again, he knew that much. "Where are you going?" Nothing made sense. Fuck, why had he gone out again? Why was Yuri leaving? He wanted the world to stop spinning. He wanted Yuri to sit down with him and watch a movie while they cuddled. He wanted to play with Yuri's hair and kiss his cheek and his lips and… that was a dangerous path his thoughts were taking. 

Luckily, Yuri's answer pulled him away from them. "To Minami’s, if you need to know. Goodbye." 

Otabek's brain screamed at him, everything felt fuzzy and warm and uncomfortable. "Who the fuck is Minami?" 

Again, Yuri looked at him in utter disbelief, and Otabek had to admit to himself that this was apparently a constant theme with him now. "You forgot Minami? Over the course of two weeks? You are unbelievable, Altin. Un-fucking-believable!" 

That was when he remembered what the name of the nugget boy was. The small one with the red lock. But why was Yuri going to his place? 

Otabek looked like a kicked puppy. "Do you … not like it here?" Yuri stopped his descent of the stairs. He turned around, looking smaller and sadder than Otabek had seen him in months. That was his chance. Otabek knew it was the only chance he would get, at least tonight. He stretched out his hand tentatively. "Stay. Please, Yura." 

And because the universe was good to him for some unknown reason, he did. 

\--------- 

Yuri was back in the hoodie and shorts, a blanket pooling around his legs. He held his glass of whiskey again, while Otabek nursed some water. Potya was in his lap, which he considered an apology for the ruined sofa sides. 

"Okay. We will not handle this like our parents. We will talk this out. Alright?" Yuri nodded, resolute about his decision. Otabek agreed because really, what could he say if he didn't want Yuri to leave again? So Yuri started again. "Where were you? I know you're an adult and I know you can do whatever the fuck you want, but … you should have told me. I didn't realise you left. I was sick with worry!" 

Otabek felt suddenly very, very small and cast his gaze down. "I was just … out. In a bar. A sports bar." 

"Alone." It wasn't a question. Not really. 

A nod to confirm. 

"Did you meet someone there?" 

Otabek shook his head. He began to knead his hands into Potya's fur, but the cat didn't seem to like it, so he stopped. 

"This was not about the dude from the bar?" 

Now he looked up, unsure how Yuri even got to that conclusion. "What, Jean? No. Why would I meet with him? He's obnoxious?!" 

"So that's the asshole's name. Good to know." Yuri looked pleased about him calling the Canadian obnoxious. "If you think he's annoying, why were you talking to him in the first place?" 

"He's a friend of Leo. And when Leo left to go dance with Jean's fiancée—" 

"Fiancé or fiancée?!"

"Hmm?" 

"Come on Otabek. Truck or dollhouse?!" 

"Wh—" 

"IS HE DATING A MAN OR A WOMAN?" 

That's when the coin finally dropped. "Oh. Oooooh. No, fiancée, woman. She was the one Leo was dancing with." 

Realisation dawned on Yuri's face, too. "I thought that was his girlfriend." 

"Yeah. No. Leo is bi, but … he prefers men. I think he made eyes at the young Chinese boy. What was his name?" 

"Guang Hong? No way! Fuck, and I told him Leo is straight!" They both stared at each other for a moment. "So … that Jean boy … he was not flirting with you? He's straight?" 

"And about to get married. Yes." 

Yuri breathed out his relief and plopped back against the sofa. What a weird reaction. Usually queer people considered straights a threat, not a cause for relaxation. 

Otabek almost missed how Yuri turned his head. "So you weren't cheating on your lovely wife?" 

Was that why Yuri was so angry? That someone saw and would think he was cheating? Maybe tell their parents and they would declare their relationship over, so Yuri would have to go back to Russia? It seemed like a far stretch. But it was the only explanation he had right now. 

"I only have a wife in Russia." The way Yuri's brows furrowed proved he had severely miscommunicated what he meant. "Everywhere else, I have a lovely husband." 

There it was again, Yuri's smile. He scooted a little closer, unable to hide his grin. "I'm only here to cuddle Potya, don't expect too much. I still think you're an asshole." 

"Uh huh." Otabek had emotionally cleared up a little, but the scent of Yuri's shampoo was making him feel dizzy and lightheaded again. "Whatever it is, I'll take it." 

"Be careful what you wish for." 

"Huh?" 

"Nothing." 

Otabek was sure he had heard  _ something _ , but god knows what it meant. 

\---------- 

When he came home the next evening, Yuri had prepared a large dinner. He was also in particularly nice clothes and smelled fantastic. Something minty and cool. Once Otabek entered, both arms were full of an energetic bundle. Yuri squeezed him tight before he could even step into the kitchen. 

"Bekaaaaaa …" 

Something was wrong. Something was terribly wrong. Yuri only  _ ever _ adopted that tone when he talked to Alexander because he wanted one thing or the other. 

"Hmm?" 

"You know we are married, right? And what yours is, is mine? And vice versa?" 

"Hmm?" Oh god, something was incredibly wrong. 

"Do you remember how we spoke about kids and you said we will get a dog and I said I want a cat instead?" 

"Please tell me you didn't buy another cat. Or dog. Or anything else." 

Yuri quickly shook his head and gave him a confident smile, still hugging Otabek. "No … but you know how kids sometimes do really dumb things?" 

Oh no. "What did Potya do?!" At least it didn't seem to be too serious or Yuri would react differently. 

"You're so smart Beka. You immediately know something happened. Do you know how clever you are? And so strong …" Yuri squeezed his upper arms and it sent bolts of electricity through him that he didn't ask for. 

"What. Happened?" 

"She chewed through the TV cables …" 

"Fuck, really?" 

"... And the PlayStation …" 

"Oh my God." 

"And … your laptop charger." 

"WHAT?!" 

Yuri grinned up at him. "The last one was a joke! See? You feel much better already, right?" 

Otabek wanted to choke him. And kiss him, but that part was weird, so he focused on the former wish instead. 

\---------- 

In the evening, Yuri knocked on his bedroom door. When asked in, he brought a pillow and his blanket. "Since we can't watch TV in the living room, I decided to join you here." 

"For the night?" 

"I'm too lazy to walk back over. I get tired easily. Let me watch TV and sleep here and I'll forget that you went out without telling me, making me sick with worry?" 

He thought about informing Yuri that  _ his cat _ was the main reason they couldn't watch TV in the living room, but … god, Otabek loved that monster, too. The cat. Of course. 

"Okay. You can come in, but Potya stays outside." 

Yuri cheered and pushed the ragdoll cat to the side so he could enter without her. Although the screams that followed tugged so much on Otabek's heart strings that he eventually allowed Potya in, too. 

She immediately jumped onto the bed, walked up to him and curled around his head like a fur halo. Then, she farted. 

Yuri was living his best life. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooooo. Our disaster boy went out on is own and got himself into a bit of trouble, but luckily they are two grown men who are able to discuss things out. Unluckily, mean mean Potya ruins the TV and now poor Yuri has to sleep in Otabek's bed. The struggle. What do you guys think, how long will this work out before they either make out or one strangles the other? 
> 
> Thank you for reading, and I would love to hear from you!  
> I'm also on  
> tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/venom-for-free  
> instagram: https://www.instagram.com/venom_for_free/  
> or twitter: https://twitter.com/venom_for_free


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recap Chapter 7: Aftermath of the fight with JJ, Otabek does not understand what Yuri's problem is, Otabek goes out drinking on his own and is welcomed back by his unhappy husband. They fight, Yuri wants to leave but stays in the end, they discuss it out. Yuri finds out Otabek isn't seeing JJ. The next day, Potya ruined the TV cables, and Yuri had to watch TV in Otabek's bed instead.

When his alarm rang in the morning, multiple things happened at the same time. Potya jumped onto his face, he tried to sit up and was blinded by the furball, and Yuri catapulted his pillow across the bed to motivate him to turn off the alarm. 

Yuri. 

Yuri was in his bed. And even though it wasn’t the first time, it was completely different to wake up next to him. They hadn't done that since the wedding all those months ago. 

"Bekaaaaaa." The whining was new. In Saint Petersburg, Yuri had been too busy maintaining a proper facade. "Turn it off and come back to bed!" 

"I'm still in bed. I'm literally next to you. But I have to get up for work." 

" _Bekaaaaaaaa!_ " 

He grinned, then leaned over and kissed Yuri's head. "Sleep some more. You still have time." 

Yuri nodded and promptly fell back to sleep, Otabek's pillow clutched to his chest. Cute. 

\--------- 

He came home to Yuri cooking again. "You are aware you don't have to do this, right?" 

The young man hummed and opened the oven to reveal a batch of freshly baked goods. "I know. But you've been kind to my daughter and me, so I wanted to do something for you." 

"Is she not my daughter, too, by now?" Otabek couldn't read Yuri's gaze perfectly, but he was sure there was fondness there. 

"I made piroshki like my grandpa makes them." He beamed proudly and plopped down next to Otabek. "Try them. You'll love them. But be careful, they are almost as hot as I am." 

Otabek snorted and Yuri smiled back. Some of his insecurities were gone since the outside matched the inside more and more. He started training in a gym and eating more balanced. During the last month, he found a therapist to help him deal with the situation. And once a week, he had voice training with a vocal coach, and an app helped him to practise at home. 

Yuri was never shy about his appearance and his dysphoria was bearable during most days, as he liked to say himself. But now he was getting increasingly comfortable every day. His family was still not happy with it, but since his hair was now reaching his chin again and he hid his muscles with wide clothes, they stopped complaining. 

_'I basically just want to look like a genderless hot mess, but like, with a dick,'_ he explained to Leo once. When asked if that didn't mean he was nonbinary, and Yuri explained that _'no. I still identify as male. I just like to confuse the eye,'_ Leo shrugged and tossed him another beer with a content _'Okay.'_

Trying Yuri's piroshki was an otherworldly experience. He prepared both vegetarian ones and those with meat, and Otabek gratefully tried everything. Kazakh food used a lot of meat, so he felt right at home. 

It wasn't the first time Yuri joked about being his happy little housewife, but Otabek kept telling him that he was a househusband, and not even that because he was technically a student. 

After dinner, they spoke about their day. Otabek cleaned up the table and Yuri fed Potya. All of it felt ridiculously domestic, but nice. 

"Oh! Forgot to ask yesterday." Yuri set down a piece of cake in front of Otabek, who was sure Yuri hadn't forgotten but instead prepared his proposition properly. He knew Otabek wasn't likely to decline him anything when he was presented with cake. "Viktor asked if we want to Skype. His husband and him got a new puppy and—"

"Husband?" Otabek accidentally dropped his fork. "Wait, what?!" 

Yuri gave him big doe eyes before it finally dawned on him. "Oh yeah. Viktor is gay. That's why he's not living in Russia anymore. He explained to me what being queer and trans and gay meant. I never really forgave him for leaving. I could have used _one_ person to trust growing up as a queer in Russia. But—turns out—he didn't leave on his own volition. So I forgave him pretty quickly. Him coming to our wedding was special. Usually he avoids our family and Russia. He loves me, though. But don't you ever dare tell him I like him, too." 

Otabek smirked and nodded. "They are always welcome to come and visit us, him and his husband." 

Yuri gave him the softest smile. "I really love you, man." 

Before he even consciously worked through the words, Otabek's heart jumped happily. _Calm down. This is platonic._ He smiled back and tried to sound cool and collected as he told Yuri _'I love you, too.'_

Platonically. Of course. 

\---------- 

Yuri made a home in Otabek's bed. Watching TV together became a ritual and so did cuddling. And platonic _'love you'_ s. Before work, before uni, before bed. Neither of them mentioned that they easily had enough money to replace the TV in the living room. 

_Especially_ not after Otabek discovered the cables had been cleanly cut, not chewn through. When he tried to figure out why Yuri would do that, he decided Yuri was probably lonely in his room. And sharing was fine with Otabek. He was lonely in his own room, too. 

He and Yuri began to share even more. They went shopping together, bought each other clothes, and shared a gym. Otabek was amazed with how rigorous Yuri was about his training, though he really shouldn't have been surprised. The younger man was both athletic and determined. And very nice to watch as he trained cardio while Otabek tackled the weights. 

At least until he heard a somewhat familiar voice. He spotted the signature undercut a second after Yuri did, and the younger one was already on his way over to Otabek. 

Jean noticed them almost immediately and walked over, grinning wide. "Heeeey! If it's not the knight in shining leather and his pretty little princess!" 

Yuri's whole body tensed and Otabek carefully rested a hand on his shoulder. He was determined not to cause trouble this time. "What do you want?"

The newcomer laughed, completely at ease. "I thought I'd come say hello." 

"Fuck off right the _fuck_ now or I'll cut off your arm, slap yourself with your own hand, shove it as far into your ass as I can, and then I'll break your jaw and push my own hand down your throat to shake yours. Sound good?!" 

Jean was unable to respond for a moment, even through that seemed impossible with how much he liked to listen to himself. "Fuck. You're really violent, princess—" 

"Call. Me. That. One. More. Time." Yuri looked like he didn't plan to be thrown out, but would take the risk if opportunity arose. 

Jean answered with a chuckle. "Why does it piss you off so much, little one?" 

Otabek settled his weights down and carefully curled himself around Yuri's body. It looked like a comforting hug, but in reality, it was a desperate try to keep him from lashing out. And not a second too early. Yuri was snarling and straining against Otabek's hold, trying to get free so he could once again knock out the asshole. 

"Юрийым …" 

Yuri eased a little. He didn't understand exactly what Otabek said, but his name had been part of it, so he turned around. "Yuriyim?" 

When Otabek turned a darker shade of bronze, Yuri looked first confused and then amused. "Are you blushing?! Is this what it looks like when you blush?!" 

"You've seen me blush a few times." He sounded defensive even to his own ears. 

Yuri laughed softly and turned in his arms, Jean forgotten for the moment. His arms encircled Otabek's neck and there was a sly smile on his lips. "If it gets you blushing this much, then I can tell … what did you say? Because I heard my name." 

"Maybe he told you to calm down, little hissy kitty?" 

Yuri wanted to spin back around, but Otabek held his hips locked in his grasp. He was burning up in shame about the slip, but maybe it was enough to capture Yuri's attention and not get them kicked out. 

"I said _'Юрийым'_." 

"Tell me something I don't know already." Yuri was visibly impatient but tried to listen. 

"It's … a Kazakh endearment. It means _'my Yuri'_. It's nothing big. It's just …" 

Yuri smiled gently at him and dropped his arms to Otabek's hips. "How do you say _'my Beka'_?" 

"Отабегiм. Or Бекам." 

"Otabegim or Bekam?" 

By now, his full body blush was obvious to _everyone_ , but Yuri was still smiling. He turned his head around to Jean. "You may fuck off now and I'll forget the shit you said." 

"What about shaking my hand inside my throat, though?" 

Leo chose that moment to join them. He smiled warmly at Yuri and Otabek, and the latter was happy Leo hadn't learned anything about the club incident. Mostly because Jean hadn't told _anyone_ that Otabek and Yuri were kicked out, instead of leaving on their own. He said the bruise was from a security guy during some commotion. Why he protected Yuri like that was anyone's guess. 

"Beks! Yura! Hi!" 

They both waved at him with a smile. Yuri had relaxed considerably in Otabek's hug, even though they were sweaty and gross. "Hi, Leo!" 

Jean smirked at him, too. "Welcome to our group meeting. Can you tell me why the princess is so sensitive about his name?" 

Leo froze up and stared at Jean, then at the hugging husbands. "Is … is Yura the _'princess'_?!"

"I mean, I thought his name is Yuri, not Yura, but … duh? Look at him?" 

Leo turned white as a wall and grabbed Jean's arm, before he hissed into his ear. _"Man, you can't say that to a trans dude. What the fuck?"_

Jean blinked, then laughed a little. "Uhm, I mean, isn't it much more rude to call him trans just because he has long hair? Grow up, Leo. He has a dick. I've seen it in those pants in the club. Probably everyone has." 

Now it was Yuri who was confused. "Wait. Are you saying you didn't call me princess because I'm trans?" 

"You … but you have a dick?" 

Yuri looked around, found that they were sufficiently far away from everyone else and reached into his underwear to take out the packer. 

Jean screamed. 

"DUDE!" Yuri hissed and stuffed it back into his pants. 

"YOU CAN'T JUST TAKE YOUR DICK OFF IN FRONT OF ME! WHAT THE FUCK? WHAT THE _FUCK_?" 

Now it was the Russian that grinned, content with himself. 

"Apparently your plan to _‘look like a genderless hot mess, but like, with a dick’_ , worked for you." Leo smirked at Yuri, still obviously amused over Jean's horrified expression. 

Once Yuri was back in Otabek's arms, he asked his previous question again. "So, you didn't know I was born with female genitalia when you called me princess?" 

Jean was beet red by now. "No. No, I swear. I might be an idiot sometimes, but I'm not a … what's the word? It's not _'homophobe',_ right?!" 

"Transphobe?" Leo supplied helpfully. 

"YES, THAT. I'M NOT THAT." 

"Then why did you call me princess?" 

Otabek was sure Jean had reached maximum redness, but he was wrong. 

"Because … of your long blond hair. And your slim build. And how you draped yourself over him. Just like right now. Who does that in a club?" 

Yuri snorted. As it seemed, his anger had turned into amusement now. He tugged the chain out from around his neck and dangled it in front of Jean's face. "We are married. I'm legally allowed to be all over him." He smirked and kissed Otabek's cheek, who in turn tightened his arms around Yuri. 

"You guys are _married_? How old are you?!" 

"Twenty-six and twenty-three, respectively." Yuri pointed between them when he assigned their stats. "Aren't you engaged, too? Beka said you're engaged." He turned to glare at Otabek, ready to call him out for a potential lie, when Jean confirmed that yes, he was about to get married. 

"Why do you wear your rings on a chain, though?" Leo looked like he had held back that question for a while now. 

"Because we would rather not get stabbed or spat at." Yuri said it almost nonchalantly and shrugged. Leo nodded, but Jean looked confused. 

"And how long have you been dating?" 

Otabek looked at Yuri, waiting for him to answer because honestly, he didn't exactly enjoy talking in groups of people. But when Yuri obviously waited for him, too, he said the only thing he could think of. "Oh. Yuri is my best friend." 

He received a round of weird looks, and Yuri excused himself because he needed to get his water bottle. 

That's when Leo opened his mouth. "Did you just … friendzone your husband?" 

"What?" 

"You said he's your friend. You guys have been dating for _months_. Why would you say that?!"

"I'm—what? What do you mean we have been dating for months?" 

"Uuurgh fine. Yes, you have been _married_ for months." 

"Yeah but that doesn't mean we are dating. Right? I don't even know if Yuri is gay? What?—WHAT? Why are you looking at me like that?!" 

"Beks. Dude. I'm … I'm not sure if I want to laugh or cry." 

Yuri returned with two water bottles. He tossed one at Otabek, then walked past them to the bench press. 

Otabek watched him all the way, then turned to Leo. "See? Nothing. I didn't offend him. I didn't friendzone him, either. You have to have feelings for someone to be friendzoned. ALSO! The friendzone is a made up place by loser idiots who can't deal with a _'no'_ and pretend that being friends is an elaborate trap mostly by women to … I don't even know. Why would you want to trap a dude who thinks you owe him sex if he's friendly to you?!" 

Jean leaned forward and whispered, even though Leo could still clearly hear him and there was no one else around. "So … is he a girl or not? And are you dating?" 

Otabek rolled his eyes and decided to leave this mess for Leo to clean up, while he walked over to the bench press. 

"Hey." 

"Hey." 

"You okay?" 

Yuri had avoided looking at him until now, but once Otabek asked he nodded. "You?" 

Another nod in return. 

"I … wondered if we should invite people over tonight." Yuri didn't need to say _'so we won't be alone'_ out loud. "I could cook something. We could cook if you want to. Leo can come, too. But that dumb asshole …" 

"Don't worry. I wouldn't have invited Jean either. Who do you want to ask?" 

"Guang Hong, mainly, since you said Leo might like him. I know for a fact that Ji thought Leo was cute." 

"Ji?" 

"His last name. Shorter and cuter." 

Otabek nodded. "Anyone else?" 

"Maybe Phichit and Chris. You seemed to get along nicely with the latter one?" 

So Phichit was the name. Otabek wondered how he would even begin to try and write that. "Uhm … yeah. Sure." 

"And Mila and Sara. Maybe Minami?" 

"The nugget?" 

"The nugget." 

"Sure." 

Yuri nodded and increased the weight for the next repetition. 

"You're doing it a little wrong, see?" Otabek adjusted his leg slightly, so it wouldn't damage Yuri's knee in the long run.

"Thank you." 

Then, silence followed. Which was weird because normally there was no silence between them. But most of the time, Yuri would be the one talking and he seemed determined not to do that right now, so eventually, Otabek excused himself and went back to his own training.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well. The princess issue is resolved. But Otabek managed to actually friendzone his husband.  
> They decide to have a small party now. What could go wrong, right?  
> No, honestly, what do YOU think could go wrong? ♥ 
> 
> Thank you for reading, and I would love to hear from you!  
> I'm also on  
> tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/venom-for-free  
> instagram: https://www.instagram.com/venom_for_free/  
> or twitter: https://twitter.com/venom_for_free


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It is the third anniversary of WttM and we finally have a total chapter count!   
> Halfway through the story after today ♥ 
> 
> Recap Chapter 8: Yuri stays the night and is grumpy to let him go in the morning. He cooks for Otabek and they speak about Viktor. They meet JJ in the gym and resolve the "princess" issue, but Otabek accidentally 'friendzones' his husband. Yuri learns that Leo is bi, they invite the gang to a small party.

Yuri opened the door for their guests. In hindsight, Otabek realized it wasn't the best idea to only invite couples, and a potential future couple, along with Minami. But Yuri introduced him to Potya, and the three of them played together for a while. Otabek took the time to prepare food and present it to the group of friends before settling down on the couch. He was content to just sit there and listen to the others. From the corner of his eyes, he watched Yuri and Potya, and a smile kept tugging on his lips. It disappeared from time to time, whenever Minami got too friendly with Yuri. 

After a while, the two joined the group again. And Otabek realized he was unusually disappointed when Yuri didn't sit with him. Instead, he settled on the other sofa, sandwiched between Chris and Phichit and Mila and Sara. Minami sat with Otabek instead. 

"Hi! Sorry, I forgot to greet you. Yura wanted to introduce Potya to me!" 

Trying to be polite, Otabek offered a nod and a smile. He didn't feel like talking if it was someone else. But Yuri didn't look like he would leave his position anytime soon … Otabek finally noticed that Minami was still babbling. "Oh. Hmm? I'm so sorry. I was …" 

"Distracted?" Minami grinned at him. "I understand. Yura is a very beautiful person. Living with him would distract me, too." 

Instead of the soft, warm blush from earlier, the heat that was now running through him felt less like embarrassment and more like jealousy. Otabek hated the feeling and everything it stood for. 

"Yeah. Yura is very beautiful." He sounded more serious than he intended, but Otabek couldn't help himself. 

Minami didn't seem to be bothered by it. "How long have you been a couple?" 

Otabek swallowed. He wouldn't make the same mistake again. Yuri's reaction, or rather the lack of it, proved that Leo was right. 

"We've been married for half a year now." 

The small man nodded. "So it's true?" 

"Hmm?" 

"That you're married. I heard people talk about it in university, but no one really confirmed or denied anything." 

"Not even Yuri?" 

"Especially not Yuri." 

Otabek frowned and stared at his … best friend? Partner? Husband. "I see." For the first time, he realized Yuri had his own entire life outside of their home. He went to lunch with people, he studied with them and, apparently, didn't talk about their relationship. 

He was still brooding about the fact that Yuri did the exact same thing he did at work, when Minami continued relentlessly. "You see, he's very famous with the ladies. They  _ love _ his androgynous style. And he's so funny and outgoing!" 

"He's also gay," Otabek growled. 

"Is he, though?" Minami flinched when he turned his head. Apparently, Otabek forgot to control his facial features. "I just—I mean—Of course he's interested in men! Since he's married to you! I just mean … is he  _ only _ interested in men?!" Otabek's eyes narrowed against his will. "Not that it matters! Right? It doesn't matter! Because you guys are married!" Minami's laughter was obviously forced. "I mean, don't we all like to flirt with our friends? For good fun?" 

Blood rushed through his ears, and Otabek's stomach cramped unpleasantly. "He … flirts?" 

Minami was pink by now and very obviously scared of Otabek. "Only with Mila! Just for fun, I'm sure! He knows she has a girlfriend! So it doesn't mean anything, right?!" 

"Right." 

"And they only go out to eat together every few days." 

Otabek's head turned slowly. "Do they now?" 

All the color drained from the poor boy's face. "I … need to go to the toilet. Can you tell me where the toilet is?!" 

"The room with the open door. Don't close it, or Potya won't be able to get to her litter box, and we all know what happens then." 

Minami stood and gingerly walked to the bathroom. Yuri followed him a moment later, looking slightly concerned. Then Otabek heard him laughing from the hallway. 

"NO, MINAMI!  _ AFTER _ YOU'RE DONE. DON'T CLOSE THE DOOR  _ AFTER  _ YOU'RE DONE!" 

\---------- 

The rest of the night was a blur. Not because it passed by so fast, oh no, but because it felt like a smudge on the windshield. From the outside. That he couldn't clean. Otabek had a headache from all the people talking the whole time. It wasn't the same feeling as in a bar where he could turn around and go home. This was his home. He was stuck. With all those loud, excited people. All those talking people that consumed  _ his _ Yuri’s time and attention. 

It was almost eleven when he stretched and finally stood. Otabek walked over to his husband and rubbed his back. Yuri curled into the touch like a cat. "Юрийым. I need to sleep. I’ve got work tomorrow. Have fun, okay? But please don't be too loud." 

Yuri groaned when Otabek stopped scratching his back. So he started again. "Don't leave just yet." 

"I have to, алтыным. I have to work." 

"We have enough money." 

"Your father has enough money. So does mine." 

Yuri made a sound that was surprisingly close to a hissing kitten. "But who's going to scratch my back if you leave? And what does  _ 'Altinym'  _ mean? Is it the same as Yuriyim?" 

"To me, yes. To the rest of the world, probably not." 

"What does that even me—hey! Come back! My shoulders!" 

Otabek chuckled and grabbed Yuri's hips to pull him close, so he could give him a kiss on his cheek. He whispered his answer into Yuri's long hair. "Come to bed and I'll massage your shoulders." 

"Even if you have to work tomorrow?" Yuri shuddered in his grasp, sounding slightly breathless. "What does  _ 'Altinym'  _ mean?" 

"You'll have to try your luck. And google it. I'm not your translator." Otabek winked and said goodbye before he left for bed. 

\---------- 

When he was out of the shower and finished with his bedtime routine, the apartment was already much quieter. And once he settled in bed and turned the light off, the door opened. 

"What does  _ 'Altinym'  _ mean, Beka?"

"I'm already asleep." 

"Yeah?" 

"Yeah." 

"You're sleeptalking, then." 

"Mmhmm … " 

The bed dipped, and Yuri crawled in, clothes on and everything. 

"You're getting the bed dirty." 

"What does  _ 'Altinym'  _ mean?" __

"Google it." 

"Google said it's a spelling error." 

Otabek chuckled and opened his arms. Yuri immediately crawled into his embrace and cuddled close to him, chest to back. "Altin means gold." 

"So it means  _ 'my gold' _ ?" 

"Yeah. Or  _ 'my treasure.' _ " 

"That's pretty gay." 

"You are pretty gay." 

"Yeah." 

"Yeah?" 

"Yeah." 

Otabek smiled and tightened his arms around Yuri. "Minami said you might not be gay." 

"What else would I be?" 

"I don't know? Bi? Pan? Demi? For all I know you might be straight …" 

Yuri chuckled and turned his head to kiss Otabek's cheek. "You're an idiot. Sleep. You have to work tomorrow." 

"But who's going to scratch your back?" 

"Big brain energy. When you spoon me, it doesn't need scratches." 

Otabek fell asleep with a face full of hair and an arm tingling unpleasantly, but that didn't stop him from smiling. "Юрийым …"  _ My Yuri.  _

\----------- 

When he woke to the screams of his alarm clock the next morning, Otabeks whole arm from the shoulder down was numb. Yuri had shifted in his sleep and was now lying against his chest, his leg resting over Otabek's thighs. He was still dressed. 

And awake, but very unhappy about it. "Turn it off, or I'll throw that thing against the wall." 

"You're lying on my arm." 

"You have another one." 

"Potya stole that." 

"You're a filthy liar. She's sleeping against my back." 

_ Damn it.  _ Otabek twisted himself around as best as he could and turned off the ringing. "There." 

Yuri sighed and grabbed Otabek again to pull him back. "Now … back scratches." 

"You don't really get the concept of work, do you? I'm not saying you're lazy. Just that you apparently struggle with me having to be somewhere at certain times." Otabek chuckled and still did his best to scratch Yuri's back. 

"Mmmhmmm, why would I want to let you leave … if you're that nice to me … and so warm …" 

He smiled and hugged Yuri close. "So you can go to uni and flirt with people?" 

Yuri blinked up at him, his eyes still half shut with tiredness and sleep in the corners. "Why would I flirt with people? I'm a married man." He looked honestly confused. 

"Are you saying there's never going to be anyone else in your life?" 

Yuri sprang up like a slinky and glared at Otabek. "Are you saying there  _ is  _ someone else?!" 

He hurried to shake his head. Then, he had a bold thought, and because nothing was stopping him, he leaned forward and grabbed Yuri's face. "I don't think there will ever be someone else, Юрийым." 

Yuri pouted at him, but the effect was ruined by Otabek squeezing his cheeks. "Say the other one."

"Which one?"

"The one from the party." 

"алтыным?" 

Yuri nodded. "Yeah. Altinym. I like that one." 

"What about Бекам?" 

"I think I like that one best." 

"Yeah? Say it." 

Yuri beamed and snuggled into the hands still holding his face. "Bekam." 

Never in his life had Otabek wanted to kiss him so much. "Thank you, сүйіктім." He kissed Yuri's forehead and tried to slide out of bed. But the little monster held on. 

"What does  _ 'süyiktim'  _ mean?" 

"Not that again!" 

\----------- 

Otabek was still in bed fifteen minutes later and had accepted he would probably have to call in. 

"What does  _ 'süyiktim'  _ mean?" 

"Yura, I gotta go …" 

"No!" 

"No?" 

"No! Teach me Kazakh so I can say cringy things to you in public and watch you get flustered … " 

Otabek huffed. "Demon." 

He carefully dragged himself out of bed and began to get dressed when Yuri spoke again. "So …  _ other _ than best friends … what are we?" 

"I have to go to work ..." Was he trying to evade the question? Obviously. 

"Bekaaaaaa," Ah. His Achilles heel. A whiny, pouty Yuri. Then he went further. "Please don't go. I might get my period later, and classes are canceled for today. Don't leave me alone with that. Please!" 

Otabek frowned. "You … are still getting your periods? I thought that new pill would suppress that?" 

Yuri turned very red and hid beneath the blanket, Potya in front of his face as he tried to disappear. "I said I  _ might? _ " 

"Are you serious right now?" 

"I don't want you to leave! Sue me!" He sighed and settled down on the bed again, causing Yuri to leap out of his hiding spot and jump him like a hunting wildcat. Yuri locked his pretty legs around Otabek's hips and his arms around his neck. "If you leave now, you'll have to take me with you. Like your personal backpack." 

"I can't take you to work with me." 

"Why not? What do you even do, exactly?!" 

He tried his best to peel Yuri off of him. "Meet with Mila or Minami or—" 

"Yesterday, you didn't sound as if you'd like the idea of me meeting with Mila …" he was far too pleased with himself. 

Suddenly Otabek wondered just how much Yuri heard of his conversation with Minami. "Demon boy. What are you talking about?" 

Yuri chuckled and began to nuzzle Otabek's ear. "You know exactly what I'm talking about … what if I told you … that I asked Minami … to investigate a little? How you feel, I mean. Since you won't talk to me …" 

Otabek turned very red. "You did what?!" Yuri kissed along his neck until he reached Otabek's spine. It was somehow the best and worst thing he'd ever felt. "Yura …" a warning, loud and clear. Or maybe not, Otabek couldn't be sure. Thinking was hard. 

"What are we?" He nibbled at Otabek's shirt. 

"Best friends." 

"Try again." This time, Yuri bit him on the shoulder, and it was increasingly complicated to focus. 

"Uuuhmmm … roommates?" 

Another bite, harder this time. "Try. Again." 

"Huh. Uhm. Well, husbands?" 

Yuri answered him with a content hum and more kisses to the sensitive skin of his neck. Otabek had goosebumps all over. He wanted to jump out of his skin with arousal and confusion. Why was Yuri so close? Why did he feel so good? And why did he have to tease him like this? Oh god. 

"Uuuuhm…"  _ Focus, Otabek.  _

"What does  _ 'süyiktim'  _ mean?"

"Yura …" 

"Why can you say it in Kasakh but not in Russian? Are you afraid I might understand?" 

His brain was freezing up and boiling over at the same time. "I don't know. I think I'm afraid you  _ won't  _ understand." 

More kisses to his neck. Every part of him that touched Yuri was scorching hot. Otabek was already late, but nothing in this world would get him to go to work now. Oh, how things changed. 

"Then say it in a language I understand, Bekam." Why why why was that one word making everything endlessly more hot and cold? "You know … I won't leave. I never did. I never could. I've been here the whole time … there's nowhere else I could go. Not because you or our parents force me to be here … but because there's nowhere else I'd ever want to be. Not if you aren't there." 

His cheeks were flaming red. Did this mean … Otabek's mind tried to come up with a hundred reasonable explanations. Still, there was only one, and it made his stomach churn and dance and blossom and tighten. 

"My chosen one." 

"Mhm?" 

" _ 'Cүйіктім'  _ means  _ 'my chosen one.' _ " 

Yuri shuddered noticeably behind him. "But was I really chosen? I feel like fate assigned me to you …" 

Otabek lifted Yuri’s hand and kissed every single one of his knuckles. Leo would kill him for being late, but he couldn't care less. "Fate assigned us to get married. Fate didn't make us actually live together. It never forced you to cook for me or for me to clean your clothes … it never made you wear my hoodies or asked me to delete every single dating profile or number I ever had from anyone else. Fate sure as hell didn't make you cut the TV cables." 

Yuri gasped into his ear, scandalized. "You knew? Why didn't you say something? Like, a month ago?" 

"I thought maybe you don't want to be alone? Because you don't know many people in America … maybe you have bad dreams and want company? Or was it getting cold?" 

"Beka … you're really smart. But you're also really, really dumb. I probably know more people here than you do. And you've lived here your whole life. Well, most of it. And have you seen me have a single bad dream? Trust me, I would have used the fuck out of that opportunity." Yuri chuckled and kissed the nape of his neck. 

"So … what does this all mean?" 

"What do you want it to mean?" Yuri tightened his grasp on Otabek, squeezing him. There was no doubt left what Yuri wanted. 

"It … means I'll be late for work." 

"REALLY, DUDE? THAT'S WH—" But Yuri's protest was silenced when Otabek turned his head and kissed him. 

It was terrible. Completely awkward. Yuri still had his lips close to Otabek's spine, and he wasn't an owl. 180° head turning just wasn't going to happen. On top of that, it was too fast and a bit too wet. 

But it was also perfect. 

Not at all like the little kisses they shared for their wedding. Or the small, affectionate gestures they bestowed upon each other. Once they managed to lock their lips properly, it was burning and calming and comforting and exciting and a hundred more things Otabek couldn't think about because he couldn't think at all anymore. 

Once he unfroze from his stupor, he turned in Yuri's arms, pushed forward, bending Yuri back. They fell onto the mattress, and Otabek was climbing over him, caging his husband in with his arms. 

His husband. 

How had they been married for half a year already? How had they never done this before? Because  _ fuck,  _ did it feel good. 

Otabek's phone rang. Shit, was he that late? There was no opportunity to find out because his demon stole the phone and ended the call, turning it around. 

"What if that was important?" 

"I'm more important." 

"Good point." 

They were back on each other immediately, kissing hot and heavy and with the clumsiness of people who were in love. 

"You're such an idiot, Beka, for making me wait so long. We could have been doing this for—GOD DAMN IT, STOP CALLING! WE ARE HAVING A MOMENT!"

He snatched the phone from Yuri's grasp and took the call, but pressed his lips on Yuri's to silence his protest. 

"Beks? Hiiii ... l, uhm. I'm so sorry. Am I bothering you? You already on your way? Because … shit, don't kill me, but I'm not sure I can make it today. Into the office, I mean. I … after the party, I went home with Ji. And I kind of … don't really want to leave? I know this is unprofessional but—" 

"That's fine. Beka won't come in today either. Make sure to properly fuck Ji's brains out. He deserves it!" 

"Yuri?!" 

"Yeah, hi. You're bothering us. Anything else, or can I hang up again?" 

"Did Beks forget his phone? Or is he still at home? What's going on?" 

Yuri answered with a laugh. "I'll make sure he forgets a lot more than his phone. Have fun, you two. And rest assured that  _ 'Beks'  _ wouldn't have gotten anything done today, anyway. At least, not for work ... " He snickered and allowed Otabek to take the phone from him. 

"Leo, I'm so sorry. Not coming in today is … convenient for me, too. Let's take a day off. Can you call the office?" 

Leo was silent for a moment. Then, he began to laugh. "I see I'm not the only one who enjoys the aftermath of the party." 

"DAMN RIGHT!" 

"Yura!" 

Another happy snicker down the line. "I'll call in for us. Food poisoning because you're a terrible cook?" 

"Works for me." 

"Perfect. See you tomorrow. You better not limp all over the office." 

"What?" 

Leo laughed and hung up. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THEY FUCKING DID IT THANK GOD.   
> Last chapter I asked you guys what will happen at the party, congrats to Surka and Sophie_skates_reads for suspecting the nugget to be the shit disturber the world needed. 
> 
> Are you happy with the way it turned out for them? Or would you have liked a different revelation? 
> 
> Thank you for reading, and I would love to hear from you!  
> I'm also on  
> tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/venom-for-free  
> instagram: https://www.instagram.com/venom_for_free/  
> or twitter: https://twitter.com/venom_for_free


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recap chapter 9: They have a party and poor Minami gets grilled by Otabek. He decides he needs to go to bed for work, Yuri joins him shortly after. They cuddle and are pretty gay for each other. Yuri doesn’t want to let him go the next morning. Instead, he asks what they are. They finally manage to figure themselves out, kiss, and finally, Otabek calls in to spend the day with Yuri.

"What did he mean?" Otabek tossed his phone to the side, startling Potya from the bed. 

"What do you think he meant?" Yuri stretched and wrapped his legs around Otabek. He gently wiggled his hips. 

"How am I supposed to think like this?!" 

"Damn right. You aren't. But you could take your shirt off and see if that helps?" 

Otabek laughed and did as he was told. "Happy now?" 

Yuri nodded, content like a fat cat in the sunlight. "Can I touch you?" And then he smiled, obviously amused by Otabek's blush. 

"Yeah." It sounded more like a squeak than anything else. 

"Turn around." 

"Huh?" 

"Turn. On your back. I need to move, and I can't do that from here." Again, Otabek obliged. He was a little confused about following Yuri's commands like this, but it felt good, so he didn't question it further. "Take off your pants." 

"You are still dressed?" 

"And I will stay dressed. Take them off." 

"But—" 

"Bekam." Otabek shuddered a little, then took off his pants. "Underwear, too." 

"Yura, are you sure—" 

"Do I sound unsure?!" 

Otabek swallowed and took off his underwear, too. "Am I allowed to take off my socks, too?" 

Yuri started to smile softly. "No. But I like that you asked." 

"Will you tell me why not?" 

"Because I'm calling the shots. You're not the top you think you are." He grinned slyly and, although Otabek had no idea why, he had no motivation to disagree. "So, you're the boss now?" 

"I've always been the boss." 

"It somehow didn't look like that." 

"Bold words for someone lying naked under a dressed person." 

"I'm still wearing socks."

"Because I let you." Otabek huffed. He tried to cross his arms, but Yuri took them and pushed them apart. "No. Touch me instead." 

"Yura …" 

"My hair." 

He nodded. That he could do without having to worry. Otabek burrowed his hands in the golden locks. "What are you going to do?" 

"I'm going to blow you." 

"What? Just like this?" 

"Would you rather I ask your parents first?" 

"Yura!" 

A devious little chuckle and Yuri was halfway down his body. "HOLY SHIT, DUDE." It was a strange mix of shock, appreciation, and fear. "That'll take a while." 

"What the hell do you—oh god." 

Yuri grinned up at him and hollowed his cheeks a little, experimenting with the flesh in his mouth. He was still looking smug, the bastard. "I won' manaph to geph all of thiph dow', bu' I wi' try!" 

"No no no, Yura, that's not a good—" Yuri was already gagging and coughing. Otabek took his face in hand, eyes big and filled with concern. "Please. Don't. Or at least go slow." 

"Are you telling me no, or are you telling me to take care?" He sniffled and wiped the back of his hands under his nose, stretching his jaw like a snake that tried to unhinge it. "I will stop if you tell me to, but not a minute before that." 

Otabek shook his head. He wasn't sure if it was amazement or if he was intrigued by the sheer determination, but … what even  _ was _ Yuri? "Aren't you … like, a virgin? Didn't you mention something like that?!" 

"I mean, I was until in uni with Chris and Phichit when—oh my god, calm down. I'm just fucking with you!" He laughed about Otabek's scandalized expression. "You are so fucking cute when you're jealous. It makes me all horny, you know that?" 

"You … like when I'm jealous?" 

"Duh?" Yuri nonchalantly wrapped his hand around him and began to move it as if they weren’t having an almost casual conversation at the same time. 

"Why? My mother always said—" 

"Are you really going to talk about your mother while I'm playing with your cock?" 

"It's relevant! My mother always said … jealousy only develops when you see … something as yours … and others try to … take it from you …" 

Yuri was amused with his ability to control Otabek's speech pattern and experimented ruthlessly. "So what? Where's the problem?" 

"If I'm jealous … doesn't that mean … that I consider you … my … fuck. My … property?" Talking was getting harder, along with him. 

Yuri grinned and leaned over him for a kiss that was far too sweet for the situation. "I don't mind being considered  _ 'your fuck.' _ " 

"Yuraaaaa." 

"Fine, fine." He laughed and kissed Otabek again. "I don't mind being considered your property, either. I'm basically your mail order bride, after all." 

"Don't fucking say shit like that!" 

"That I'm your mail order bride? Or that I'm yours, all yours, and that you own my sweet ass?" Otabek groaned, and Yuri delighted in the twitch that accompanied the last words. "No need to answer, Bekam. Your body specified what you like." 

Otabek grabbed himself a pillow by now, hiding his flaming head beneath it. 

"Uh. Asphyxiation along with possessiveness? Kinky!" 

A wail came from beneath the pillow. "How can you talk like this? How do you talk like this, Yura? You're a virgin! I'm the experienced one! I shouldn't get flustered!" 

"I'm a guy with an internet connection and a late second puberty with a lot of hate for certain parts of my body. If I want to experience something fun, I have to go for … unconventional stimuli." 

Otabek lifted a flap of the pillow to peek out from beneath it. "So, it turns you on to humiliate me?" He looked offended and fascinated at the same time. 

"Oh, darling. I'm so hard right now." Yuri chuckled and bowed down to lick him again. "But imagine how much fun I'll have once you burst after twelve seconds because it's probably been a while, and you get to watch your gorgeous husband blow you?" 

Otabek whimpered. Yuri took that as his sign to return to his self-assigned task. He was … ambitious. Inexperience paired with the burning desire to please, and apparently, the motivation to be  _ quick _ about it caused him to be incredibly sloppy. And incredibly hot. 

Yuri did some things he couldn't explain away with eagerness, though. When he licked up the pulsing vein on the underside and then sucked the tip, his tongue playing with the edge of the flared head, Otabek had to accept that he had planned and prepared this all along. 

It took him longer than twelve seconds, but not much. He was completely and utterly lost in the feeling of  _ Yuri. _ Yuri's lips. Yuri's eyes on him. Yuri's hands that caressed him with a steadfastness he could only explain by living together for months and always touching but never  _ touching _ . 

He would have been ashamed, had he not known Yuri was chasing that power over him. 

After a painfully exquisite flick of that devious pink tongue that left his body clenching, Otabek tapped Yuri's shoulder because,  _ oh god, this would be over soon. _ But instead of budging, Yuri began to moan. And before Otabek could even  _ think _ about squeezing his base, his world turned silent. 

Then everything crashed down around him, alongside him, with him. When had he arched off the bed? He couldn't think. He could only feel. Feel a release he hadn't expected slam into him with the violence of a truck, and he could do nothing but gasp, gasp,  _ gasp.  _

His body was shaking, his soul was shaking, and Yuri was looking so fucking smug, he wasn't sure he could handle it. 

"Good?" 

"Demon." That word alone was too much for his brain. Otabek had to breathe for a second just to feel his toes again. 

Yuri nodded, acknowledging a job well done as if this hadn't shaken Otabek to the core, and plopped down right next to him. "I told you I'd make you forget more than your phone." 

"Demon!" 

Yuri laughed and rolled half on top of Otabek. "Your demon." 

\---------- 

How was he supposed to return to breakfast after this? Yuri was still on his chest, tucked under his arm, and snored lightly. In the dresser mirror, Otabek could see him smiling. Even in his sleep. What a weird, beautiful sight. 

But now that his head was clearing, Otabek had to wonder. What could he do for Yuri? Because the obvious answer was obviously wrong. 

He fished for his phone and began to search the internet for advice. Which was helpful, but not much. Some trans men enjoyed being touched intimately, others hated the thought. Some enjoyed penetrative sex or oral stimulation, others advised not to reach below the belt before they went through surgery. 

Otabek wasn't even sure Yuri wanted surgery. Not because he wouldn't want the emotional benefits that came with it, but because the medical procedure had to be accompanied with testosterone. And those things would be noticeable to his parents. If Viktor loving a man had been enough to send him to another country, what would happen when they found out their precious child had never been a daughter? 

He tried to refocus.  Literally, every article told him to talk about it. So that was what he would do.

Yuri woke fifteen minutes later, still grinning like a fool, and Otabek wondered how he managed to look so pleased when he had been the one doing all the work. 

“Hey there, sleepyhead.” 

“Hiiii ... “ He even sounded like he had the best morning in the world. 

"Are we … going to talk about what happened?" 

Yuri stretched and, instead of backing off, rolled fully on top of Otabek. "What do you want to talk about? How messy you kiss? How quick you came? Reeeaaally embarrassing, Beka." He winked and cuddled further into him. 

"You're such a damn brat, Altin." 

Yuri giggled, honest to God giggled, about the nickname and rested his chin on Otabek's chest. "You're so sexy when you curse." 

He grabbed Yuri's ass and answered with the same smirk. "Your breath smells like me. Reeeaaally embarrassing, Yura." 

"Cum. It smells like cum. Dare to say it, you momma's boy. By the way, it also tastes like it. Wanna try?" Yuri leaned in for a kiss, seemingly expecting for Otabek to be disgusted, but that wasn't going to happen.

Instead, he kissed his partner and rolled around, pinning Yuri beneath him. Otabek was still grinning, but he noticed that Yuri was suddenly unusually rigid. "What's going on,  Юрийым ? Is this uncomfortable?" He backed off immediately, but Yuri didn't let him go very far. 

"Don't leave." 

"I'm … I'm not leaving. I could never leave you." 

"Not even for work?" 

"Yurochka." 

The Russian pet name forced a shudder through Yuri. "What? You said you won't leave. But you leave every morning." 

"So do you. That's our life, baby." 

Yuri was looking surprised once more. "Say that again." 

"Baby?" Yuri hummed in agreement but turned slightly pink. "You're so cute when you drop your false bravado. Now please, Юрийым, tell me. What's going on. Am I too heavy? Is this uncomfortable? Or …" 

"Or." 

"Or what?" 

"Damn, you really want to know, don't you?!" He chuckled, but it rang heavy with insecurity. 

"Of course. I care about you." 

"You're a dumbass, then." Yuri was still trying to keep the mood light, but the topic was slowly chipping away on him. "Okay, no. I am. I'm … intimacy is complicated for me. I’ve wanted to touch you for … forever. So … doing so was easy. But … I don't like touching myself or the thought of someone else touching me, and the thought of you touching my—" 

Yuri took a deep breath and looked to the side, seemingly searching for memories or answers or maybe just words. "I don't want you down there. I don't want you inside or rubbing me or … I don't know. I'm new to all of this. What do people do? I … have no idea." 

"So, you do  _ not _ want to be touched intimately?" 

"Unless you can give me a dick and touch that … no. It just feels … wrong"

Otabek nodded. He understood. Well, not really, but he had a distinct idea of what Yuri was talking about from his perspective. "You know, there's more to giving and receiving pleasure than just our genitalia." 

"I know. And … I don't want to sound ungrateful, Beka. I appreciate you thinking about me like this and wanting to do something nice for me. But I don't want you to play with my chest, either." 

"Is there anything you would like to try? Can I do anything for you?" 

Yuri grinned and pressed his lips against Otabek's still naked body. "You could let me find out if you can come again." 

"Yura …" 

"No. You wanted to know what I would like to try. That's it. That's what I want. I want to see you come undone by my hands." 

"You read up on this, didn't you?" 

Yuri beamed and rubbed himself against Otabek again. "I talked to Chris for hours. Better than any article. And Mila. You know, she's actually bi. When she's drunk. I think she’s sucked off half of the sport clubs for a drink at this point." 

"Really? How does Sara feel about that?" 

"Mila and her have an arrangement. Sara doesn't ask where their cocktails come from, and Mila doesn't ask why she and her brother share a bedroom." 

"Wait, WHAT?" 

"Ha. And you thought you're the one with the weirdest relationship." 

"I didn't think that." 

"Awww because being trans is normal in many cultures and across the animal kingdom, and most of the stigma surrounding it is false and stemming from assholes?" 

"Well …" Otabek grinned and grabbed Yuri's ass. " _ Actually _ , I said it because I think Phichit and Chris are super weird together, but what you said is also true." 

Yuri laughed and gave him a kiss. "I'm so happy I can do that now. You know what else I'd be happy to do?" 

And that's how Yuri found out Otabek could cum three consecutive times, but then would need a nap and some hot chocolate. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the action y'all wanted to see you filthy nuggets. I want you guys to know that this chapter contained page 69 of the word document and that makes me happy because sometimes, I allow myself to be immature. 
> 
> And since we are talking about filth, I ALSO started a new Otayuri fic, "Second Impact". This one has a BDSM theme and can be found   
> [here.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24440755/chapters/58973269)  
> 
> 
> Thank you for reading, and I would love to hear from you!  
> I'm also on  
> tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/venom-for-free  
> instagram: https://www.instagram.com/venom_for_free/  
> or twitter: https://twitter.com/venom_for_free


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recap chapter 10: Yuri decides to blow him and goes through with his decision. Otabek wants to return the pleasure, so he tries to research his way through it. He then talks to Yuri, who tells him he doesn’t like being touched or to touch himself. Instead, he decides to put Otabek’s endurance to a test.

"It's getting colder." Yuri leaned against the windowpane, palm pressed to the glass like a curious child in a zoo. His observation was an understatement. Otabek was wrapped in a thick blanket. 

He looked up from the sofa and smiled. "It's already pretty cold, baby." 

Yuri turned and gave him  _ that grin  _ that he learned to love and fear. The Russian sauntered over from the window. "Maybe for someone who lived in a warm climate most of their life. I'm from the motherland. I don't get cold." He slipped onto Otabek's lap and caged him in with his legs. "Do you need help staying warm, Teddy?" 

That was a dangerous question because it promised endless enjoyment. And the prospect of not getting anything done for the rest of the night. 

Otabek pulled Yuri flush against him and smiled, but he wasn't relenting. Yet. "Cuddling is fine, but you know we still have a lot to prepare for when my parents come over later." His family decided to visit for Christmas since they didn't celebrate it themselves as Muslims. 

"I'm pretty sure mine want to come, too, but we didn't send out invites, so they are staying put … even if they want to make a fuss. Not that we celebrate Christmas, either. At least not on the 25th." 

"If you want them here, we can invite them." 

"Nah. Thanks. They are good people. From a distance. But in my whole damn life, I've never been as content as I am when I'm away from them. Sooooo … Nah. I would celebrate with you alone if I could." 

Otabek sighed and dropped his head against Yuri's chest. "At least they rented a hotel." 

"I mean, duh. We never could have housed a bunch of your sisters and your parents. Honestly, Beka. That’s so fucked, too. Sorry but, why force the family across the globe to invite themselves for Christmas when we already told them we don't even want a family celebration? They don't even do Christmas!" 

"I don't know. Maybe they miss me. Maybe they are wondering about us." Otabek wished he could say it was unlikely, but... It sounded exactly like his parents to do something as unnecessarily complicated as this. 

"Maybe they are wondering why I haven't announced my pregnancy yet." 

"Honestly? Probably." 

Yuri groaned. "You better keep me distracted from all the bullshit. I'll play your cute little housewife, no big deal. It's nothing I haven't done yet. But if they keep asking about my reproductive organs …" 

"I'll make sure they won't. I promise ana and äke will leave you alone." 

"Uh-huh." Yuri wasn't convinced. Otabek couldn't blame him. 

"What can I do to give you happier thoughts?" 

The smile was back on Yuri's lips, and he slipped between Otabek's legs without another word. When he unbuttoned his husband's pants to shove his hand inside, Yuri's grin was even more evil. 

Yup. They wouldn't get anything done today. 

\----------- 

"This one? Or this one?" Yuri held up two dresses he hadn't even unpacked since he moved in roughly seven months ago. 

"None of them." 

"Oh … going naked to the airport to pick up my in-laws. Kinky. I like it. But seriously, which one?" 

"Yurochka, it's December." 

"Ooooh. You meant the boring  _ 'none of them'  _ … but won't I look like a boy in a hoodie? I  _ do  _ look like a boy in your hoodie. Right?!" 

"You look like a man in my hoodie. And you look like a man in a dress. Because you  _ are  _ a man, Altin. No high heels and amount of glitter make-up will change that." 

Yuri exhaled languidly, then dropped the hangers with the dresses and stepped over them to hug Otabek. "Now is as good a time as any." 

"What?" 

"Shut up, I'm having a moment." 

"Uhm … okay?" 

"Bekam?" 

"Hmmm?" 

"I love you. And before you say something stupid like  _ 'you don't really know this,' _ I've loved you for months and—" 

"Oh, thank God. I love you, too." 

"Well. That … was easy." Yuri blinked at him and tilted his head. "Okay. With that out of the way … what dress?" 

"None. What would Mila wear?" 

"FUCK ME, that's brilliant. I'll call her. Thank you, you're a genius. How are you smart and kind and sexy and clever AND successful?" 

"I'm a heathen  _ and _ gay. In some cultures, that's enough to hang me twice." 

"It's also enough reason for me to marry you twice, so stay vigilant." 

Otabek laughed and gave him a quick kiss. "I'm off grocery shopping. Do you need me to bring you anything?" 

"Some lipstick and mascara, please." 

"Cүйіктім …" 

"Call me Harry Potter—" 

"I didn't call you Harry—" 

" _ 'Chosen one.' _ Same thing. Call me that as often as you want, I'm going to do this. I HAVE to do this. Let me put on a mask for the time they are here. Let me play pretend and get into costume. Let's say it's drag. An act. Anything. But please don't force me to go there barefaced, and let me stick to this character." 

Otabek took a moment to breathe. Yuri was right. Who was he to tell his husband how to handle the potential dysphoria that was awaiting him? 

"Okay. Okay, Юрийым. How can I support you in this?" 

Yuri relaxed visibly and hugged Otabek once more. "Thank you. And … just play along. You don't have to reassure me, okay? I know who I am. But … this is method acting, kind of? So … if you jerk me out of the act, it'll be harder to get back into it. Just … let me do my thing. I have done it for years. And once we are back in here—" he gestured around the bedroom they were standing in "—you get to remind me what a great man and husband I am. Okay?" 

With a soft smile, Otabek nodded. "Anything for my baby."

"You're a fucking sap, Beka." But Yuri laughed and kissed him deeply so Otabek knew what he said had been right. 

\----------- 

Otabek returned from the shopping trip two hours later, arms full with multiple bags of food. "We will have to buy beverages later. I don't even know how to organize the fridge so we can—" He stopped and looked at Yuri. "Oh. Hi, beautiful." 

Yuri smiled gently and sauntered over. "Convincing?" 

"Scarily so." 

He was wearing a baby blue knitted sweater, a pearl necklace, and straight black pants. The faint bulge was missing, and that made Otabek’s stomach churn more than the rest of the outfit. He knew how much the packer helped Yuri feel better. Everything was rounded off with a long blond braid resting on his left shoulder. Closer inspection confirmed it was Yuri's own hair. 

"How? Where?" 

"I kept it in my nightstand. As a braid. I … expected this to happen at some point. So I looked into it and learned how to pull this off convincingly. Initially, I planned to turn it into a wig after we shaved off parts of my hair, but I never got to it, and now I'm happy I kept it like this. Looks real, right?" Otabek nodded, then sighed softly. He brushed his thumb over Yuri's face, who leaned into it. "Don't worry. I'm still the same person beneath all of this. We are playing a game, okay? Let's make this fun." He gave his husband the pained smile Otabek hoped never to see again. 

How Yuri managed to find the energy to try and cheer him up was anyone's guess. 

"I suppose I'm lucky enough to have the most beautiful husband  _ and  _ wife." 

"I know, right? You've been BLESSED, Altin." Mila walked out of the bedroom and beamed at him. "Isn't she beautiful?" 

"Don't," Yura warned. "You aren't part of the act. You don't get to call me  _ 'she.' _ " 

"Really? I'm basically your drag mother right now." 

"Mila!" Otabek couldn't believe she would try and discuss this instead of accepting Yuri's decision. 

"Relax, teddy bear. You would make a good bodyguard. But I can still take care of myself, okay?" Yuri leaned over and gave him a gentle kiss. Then he turned to his best friend. "MILA!" 

"Calm down, I'm leaving anyway." She laughed and grabbed the make-up kit she apparently brought along. Yuri's face was still bare, though, so Otabek guessed he wanted to do that later. 

They said their goodbyes and waved at her before Yuri turned and gave Otabek a look he had a hard time interpreting. Maybe he was worried. Contemplative. Scared. Annoyed. Or— 

"Let me blow you." 

Huh. 

That had not been on his list of possibilities, although, Otabek wondered why he hadn't thought about it. Yuri relied on sexual gratification when he felt insecure, so he should have seen it coming. 

"Unless … you are irked by me looking like a girl? I know you aren't into girls and—" 

"Yurochka." 

Yuri exhaled slowly. "Is that a yes?" 

"Can I put away the groceries first?" 

"No." 

Otabek raised an eyebrow. He wasn't sure if this was Yuri giving him a command or just saying what he thought. "Sweetheart, the frozen stuff will melt and—" 

"I still have to get my face painted on, and your family will be here in an hour or so. We can store away the frozen goods together. But after that, your cock goes into my mouth." 

"No longer asking?" Otabek smirked and took Yuri's hand to kiss his knuckles. 

"Correct. No longer asking. You had enough time to say no." Yuri winked. Otabek knew he would always accept a no and that his husband was just playing with him, but he enjoyed it. 

"Well, okay then,  _ Master. _ " 

They stared at each other, evaluating the new word before they began to shake their heads. 

"Nah." 

"Nope." 

Both turned around and headed into the kitchen to store away the frozen food so it wouldn't thaw. Potya did her best to help and licked the icy packages. 

Once everything was put away to the best of their abilities, Yuri dragged his husband unceremoniously to the sofa and pushed him down. Then, he settled between his legs to open Otabek's fly. 

"If you get cum in my hair or on Mila's clothes, I'll kill you. But make sure to dribble some on my lips and face, not just down my throat." 

"That's oddly specific." 

"Yeah. Now let's go. Ready to fuck my face? If I'm not teary-eyed by the end of it, you'll have to do it again." 

"You're quite demanding today." 

"Too much?" 

"Oh, no. No. Perfect." 

Yuri grinned and lowered his head. Once Otabek was hard and heavy in his hands, Yuri mouthed along the length as if it was the tastiest thing in the world. "I want this to be fast and hard. Emphasis on  _ 'hard.' _ Feel free to grab the roots of my hair to guide my head. No pulling on the braid. If it falls open, I can rebraid it. Doesn't matter. Just focus on your pleasure and use me." 

"What do you get out of this?" 

"The unshakeable feeling that you know and love who I really am. And the taste and scent of your cum on me when I have to kiss your dad  _ 'hallo.’' _

"Oh, wow." 

"Are you going to do it or not, Altin?" 

Otabek chuckled and shoved his dick down Yuri's loud mouth, effectively silencing him as he tried not to gag. "One smack on my thigh for  _ 'slower,'  _ two slaps for  _ 'there's a problem I want to discuss _ ,' and three for  _ 'stop immediately.' _ "

Yuri hummed appreciatively and began his mission to drool all over Otabek's cock. 

The latter was determined to give Yuri an experience he could treasure. Otabek weaved his hand into the hair at the back of his lover's neck and began to carefully thrust into his mouth. 

A month of nearly daily blowjobs taught Yuri what few things he hadn't found out himself. By now, he was an expert for Otabek's pleasure. He knew what buttons needed to be pushed to have his husband react in one way or another. Right now, he was going for red hot pleasure at a breakneck speed as Yuri wrapped his lips and tongue around the hard length. He sucked as if his life depended on it. 

Yuri liked to look up and make eye contact, the little demon. He earned himself that nickname whenever he went on his hands and knees. Most of the time, Yuri would torture and tease him endlessly until his body was so tense, his balls so tight, that he felt like coming or dying. He never knew which one was awaiting him at the end of the greedy, velvety mouth. But right now, it was tight, hot, wet heat and an urgency that was unusual but very welcome. 

"Fuck. Fuck, Юрийым, how do you do this?" Otabek wasn't a person to curse easily. Yuri found delight in it. 

As if to demonstrate, Yuri leaned back and opened his mouth, tongue sticking out as it cradled the hot length. He smiled, obviously amused, and dragged his tongue a few times over the sensitive underside of Otabek's cock, until it was deep purple. 

The precum dribbling steadily seemed to encourage Yuri even more. He let Otabek slide out of his mouth for a moment just so he could drag his husband's dick and the viscous liquid it was leaking across his face. Yuri liked it  _ messy _ . He enjoyed being marked in the most primal ways, be it hickeys or the lingering scent of his lover on his skin. 

But he was apparently done playing now. He took Otabek back into his mouth and pushed until he gagged. Then, he held himself there and pushed further once he felt he could. Yuri Altin would never allow his body to set his limits. 

And he seemed to actually enjoy it. Loved it. Yuri's eyes fluttered, and he was gone, caught in his own headspace. It was detectable by him rutting against things. Right now, the wrist of his left hand, placed between his legs. Otabek wondered if he did it consciously. Not for long, though, since his own conscious thoughts quickly evaporated in the heat of Yuri's throat constricting around him. 

Once Yuri seemed to have gotten used to the stimulation, Otabek made use if his grip on Yuri's hair and began to mindlessly fuck into his mouth. 

It had been too much from the start, but with Yuri actively letting go of the power, Otabek was lost. He thrust two times, three times and finally came deep in Yuri's throat. At the last second, he realized he forgot his partner's request and backed off a little so the last drops of cum fell onto Yuri's tongue. Otabek didn't dare pull out and soil his lips, too. It would probably ruin Yuri's shirt. 

When Yuri was sure Otabek had nothing left to give, he pulled back, slowly, letting some of the white liquid spill from his lips and down his chin. Rarely had Otabek seen him as pleased as he was in the moments when he managed to make a messy thing even worse. Yuri leaned up, his soiled lips tilted towards Otabek. The latter shook his head but cleaned Yuri anyway. 

How could he say no when his husband was acting like this? 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We have our first "I love you"s! And they weren't total idiots about it!  
> Also, more smut for all of you because the children need to be fed.  
> And the revelation, that the Altins are on their way! What are your expectations for the family visit? 
> 
> Thank you for reading, and I would love to hear from you!  
> I'm also on  
> tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/venom-for-free  
> instagram: https://www.instagram.com/venom_for_free/  
> or twitter: https://twitter.com/venom_for_free


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recap Chapter 11: Otabek’s family wants to come over for Christmas. Yuri tries to figure out how to hold himself. They share their first “I love you” and Yuri decides a blowjob is the best way to go about his nervousness. He chooses a feminine look when they go to pick up Otabek’s family from the airport.

Close to an hour later, they were waiting in the front of the baggage claim. "Quick, quiz me again." Yuri looked unusually nervous, but Otabek wasn't sure if it was the outfit and the make-up or the fact that he was meeting his in-laws for the first time in quite a while. 

"You don't have to know all of this, Yura. I'm not religious." 

"They are. Come on before they emerge." 

Otabek sighed, but it was more from pressure than annoyance. It meant a lot to him that Yuri was trying so hard. "Five pillars of Islam?" 

"The Shahadah, which is the declaration of faith. Only one God, Allah, and Mohammed is his prophet. It's the key fundament of Islam. Then there is praying. Five times a day. On your knees, towards Mecca. Fasting during Ramadan. Which means not eating or drinking during the hours the sun is visible. And charity. You should give a bit of your money to charity every year. Or service, if you don't have much money. Last but not least, every Muslim should partake in pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in their lives." 

"Good job, Wikipedia." 

"Thanks. I learned that during my history class." 

"Shouldn't you learn history during that time?" 

Yura laughed. "No one  _ learns  _ history. You hate it, you force yourself through it, you swallow it down and vomit it up and hope to survive." 

"I liked history." 

"I'm not surprised. But anyway. Ask me something harder." 

"What is šarīʿah?" 

"The religious regulations governing the lives of Muslims. For most, it means  _ 'justice,' _ and every rule that promotes justice or community simply counts as Sharia." 

Otabek nodded. "What do you need to know when dating a Muslim?" 

Yuri closed his eyes. This wasn't Wikipedia knowledge, so he had to actively work for that answer. "They don't drink alcohol. They eat Halal. Music and art are important to them and their culture. Uuuuhmmm … Before eating or drinking, they pronounce God’s name. For drinking and eating, the right hand has to be used. Left is the unclean one … Oh! They date to find a partner for marriage, not fun. Which is why your family probably loves me with how quick we got married. And we never even went on a date. Which is also … something to be careful about because men and women spending time together out of wedlock is problematic." 

"How are you so well prepared?!" Otabek shook his head, honestly amazed and surprised. 

"You learned all my traditions, too." 

"Yeah, but I had to court you. At least officially." 

Yuri smirked. "Ask me about weddings and family life." 

"Do I have to? I don't want to." Yuri gave him a distinct look, and Otabek knew that  _ 'no'  _ wasn't an option. "Fine. Tell me about weddings and family life." 

"Women take care of the house. Men earn the money. Muslims have tightly knit family relations. Babies should be raised as Muslims and, after their birth, receive a profession of faith. Children are expected to respect their parents. They should be dutiful and show gratitude for what their parents do for them. 

"Weddings are encouraged, and in traditional countries, polyamorous relationships are possible. In western countries, not so much. Divorce is acceptable, though I hope I won't need that knowledge. Not that it would be of importance here since _you_ aren't Muslim _._ You shouldn't have sex before getting married. They have some interesting rules about sex, like saying a prayer before, so any potential child that could be conceived will be protected. Oh, and men shouldn't jump out of bed but instead lie there a little. I thought that was nice. Also, Islam doesn't forbid any specific positions, but oral and anal aren't allowed since they won't get you pregnant. Sorry, dear." 

Yuri huffed and took his hand. What started out as a game seemed to make him more and more nervous. By now, Otabek recognized the reoccurring theme. Yuri struggled with the thought of children. Or rather, conceiving none. He'd have to return to that thought, though, because at that moment, Otabek spotted his family waddling towards them with an array of baggage that looked frighteningly big. 

Yuri smiled at them but leaned in to whisper, "How long did you say they were going to stay?" 

"We agreed on a week …" Otabek frowned at his husband, and Yuri didn't look much happier. 

"It's going to be … an interesting week then." 

\---------- 

It was going to be the longest fucking week of his life. Otabek was sure of that twenty minutes in when everyone had stored away their luggage and themselves in taxis he pre-booked. Even though Yuri and Otabek had taken the car, they needed one taxi to transport his mother, father, and three sisters, and another for their bags. On top of what was stored in Otabek's car. 

Right now, he was resting his head on the steering wheel, not caring that the cold against his forehead was slowly numbing his brain. Maybe, if he killed all his brain cells like this, he would survive the week. 

Yuri, next to him, was in a similar position. They had their heads turned so they could look at each other in their misery. "Are we telling them I'm pregnant?" 

"No." Though the thought was enticing. It would get people off their backs for a few months. Otabek's mother stuck to her promise and hadn't  _ asked _ if Yuri was pregnant. Instead, she petted his stomach and whispered,  _ 'I know Otabek doesn't want to turn it into a big thing. But I'm so happy for you!'. _ It took Yuri a few seconds to even process what she was implying, and she took his surprised face as a sign of confirmation. After that, the whole family ripped every suitcase and bag out of his hands, scolding him to not lift so heavily. 

Yuri spent most of their time together so far standing to the side, his arms crossed over his unbound chest. 

Otabek walked over from time to time to give him a quick kiss, which was met with more cooing from his family, although his father told him to quit making out in public. It didn't matter though. Otabek's mother gave him a rare, stern look. She hissed that Yuri was in a critical situation and needed a lot of reassurance and affection, and that  _ 'the youth are different about this.' _

"Are you sure?" 

"Hmm?" 

"That I can't just say I'm expecting?" 

"And in nine months?" 

"I'll tell them I lost it? I don't know. Otabek, do something about this." Yuri looked younger than usual, more helpless. It wasn't as much his outfit as it was what was expected of him that weighed him down. 

"We will  _ not _ tell them you had a miscarriage. No, Yuri. That's … no." He shook his head, feeling sick to his core. Otabek refused even to elaborate on why this was a terrible and cruel idea. He understood Yuri's desperation. But this was not okay. 

Hiding his face against his hands, Yuri spoke more quietly. "I don't want that either. But I can't go through that, Otabek. I can't have a child. Not because I don't like children, but … I  _ can't _ ." 

He reached out to take Yuri's hand. "I don't expect you to. It's your body. If we ever decide on it, we can adopt. But until then, this is completely your decision." 

"Thank you." Yuri's response sounded smaller than he expected, and Otabek barely saw the tears running down his face before Yuri brushed them off with the sleeves of his sweater. 

"Юрийым, I love you. Okay?" 

Yuri nodded. "But they won't if they—" he interrupted himself with a sob. 

Oh. OH. That was the reason. 

Otabek hugged him in a heartbeat, holding him close even when the taxis behind them began to blare their horns. He couldn't care less about the rest of the world. His Yuri was crying, and he would hold him. 

"You'll win them with so much more than your uterus, Yura. Okay? And if not, they will stay away from us. I'll make sure of that. Okay?" 

"Like you made sure they wouldn't ask about—" Yuri bit his lip. "Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, I'm so sorry. I know you tried, I'm sorry!" He stared at Otabek with wet, fearful eyes as if he would send Yuri away now. 

But Yuri was right, and he knew that. He couldn't protect him from cultural expectations. Behind them, one of the taxis lay it on thick with their horn, and Otabek groaned. He brushed his thumb over Yuri's cheek. "I love you. We will find a way. We’ve made it so far. We will manage. Okay?" 

Yuri nodded, not exactly looking hopeful, but still following along. "Okay." He curled into himself and fell against the door, eyes out the window to watch the airport float away once Otabek finally started the car. 

\---------- 

Otabek woke him when he brushed the smudged mascara off his cheeks, but he was inexperienced and made it worse. His family would definitely know Yuri had been crying. Mainly because he still looked red and puffy and tiny in comparison to his usual self. Otabek took a deep breath. "Wait here. I'll talk to them. Rest, okay, baby?" 

Yuri blinked at him through clumpy lashes and nodded. He looked so incredibly exhausted just from the last hour that Otabek wanted to punch in a window. 

After a quick kiss to reassure his partner, he left the car. The taxi driver was already discussing with his father and now turned to Otabek to air out his anger, when Otabek silenced him with a single raised finger. His eyes were fixated on his mother, but he looked around to make clear they knew he was talking to all of them. 

"Yuri can't have children. He wants to. But it's just not possible. So don't ask again. He's been crying half the drive here. When we feel ready, we will find a solution, but right now, there is none, so  _ please  _ stand down and stop pestering us! There's no secret pregnancy or anything. Yuri can't have children." 

Otabek's family gaped at him. Had they actually gotten the message? He was surprised about the silence, but it was a pleasant feeling. Maybe they would leave Yuri alone now. 

Then, his mother found her voice again.  _ "HE?" _

Oh, fucking shit. 

Otabek blinked. Oh shit. Oh no. Of all times he could slip … he bit his lip and remembered a discussion he had with Yuri when they moved in together about dead names and why Yuri had none. 

It would be hard to bullshit his way out of this, but … 

"That's—oh my God, that's an inside joke. Okay? It's hardly the most crucial part of this.  _ 'Yuri' _ is a Russian and Japanese name. It's a male name in Russia, and a female and male name in Japan. Yuri's parents decided on the name early on because they were sure it would work either way. He— _ 'he' _ —told me about that a while ago. How kids would tease Yuri because  _ 'that's a boy name.'  _ Yuri thought it was hilarious and didn't correct them. Once he found out I'm—I'm  _ bisexual— _ and was formerly interested in men, Yuri said I can say  _ 'he' _ if that's easier. As a joke. Apparently, I got too used to it. I know it's not  _ proper _ , but it's funny to us. And it's our life. So please. Just … accept that there won't be any kids anytime soon and leave Yuri alone." 

Otabek's youngest sister laughed. "Can I say  _ 'he,' _ too?" 

"Of course. I bet Yuri would think that's cool. It's like a secret code." 

Otabek's father nodded. For a moment, Otabek was about to breathe a sigh of relief when he noticed his mother's stare. "Say it." 

"What?" 

"Call her a  _ 'she.' _ " 

Otabek's whole stomach clenched. He swore to himself never to do that. Never. But Yuri had reminded him of their act just before they left and how important it was. So even if he hated it, Otabek knew it was what Yuri would want. However twisted that was. 

"Uhm … sure? She?" 

"A sentence, Otabek." 

Fuck, his mother was really sticking to this, which meant she either was angry about his outburst and wanted to remind him of the proper way of behaving, or she suspected something. 

"Yuri Altin in that car over there is my beautiful wife who can't have children.  _ She _ hates herself enough for that, and if you all could do our family and me a grand favor, please don't ask about it anymore.  _ She's _ been crying most of the way. Honestly, I'm pretty ashamed that this is the first impression  _ she _ has of my family visiting. What would the Plisetskys think?" 

His father gaped at him. Apparently, tossing the ball of moral expectations back at them had been a good idea because his mother faltered immediately, too. She ducked her head and nodded. 

Otabek wondered if he would need to say something else just to make sure they would be sufficiently distracted when his sister tugged on their mother's sleeve. 

"Ana? What does bisexual mean?" 

She paled and shook her head. "None of that anymore. Otabek was just making a joke. Let's get our luggage and get into the hotel. It's far too cold out here." 

Otabek looked at his thirteen-year-old sister, who winked at him with a knowing smirk, and  _ holy shit he owed Medina whatever she wanted.  _

\----------- 

They unloaded everything at the hotel, and Otabek helped his family understand how they could travel, dine, and spend time in the city. Personally, he hoped they would be as independent as possible, so Yuri and him could have a calm Christmas. Their first Christmas as a married couple. Their first Christmas in general. 

When all was said and done, it was early evening. For convenience, they decided to eat in the hotel. 

The fact that no one brought up kids anymore was doing very little for Yuri's overall mood. Since he had gotten out of the car, he was mostly silent and withdrawn. From time to time, Otabek would hug or kiss him, trying to cheer him up. That seemed to make his parents happy. 

"You know, Beka … when you barely texted us, and we received no photos, we were scared that you and Yuri are struggling. But seeing you like this? It's beautiful. You compliment each other so well." Otabek's mother leaned forward and nodded at them, careful not to speak with her mouth full. 

Yuri nodded back but said nothing. Instead, he took Otabek's hand and kissed it. Otabek returned the gesture. 

That was how the dinner went for a while. Someone tried to make conversation, and they acknowledged it, but stayed out of it. The only person Otabek wanted to talk to was Medina. But she was unusually quiet and observed them instead. 

Although once they finally managed to finish eating, she looked at their parents. "I'm not tired yet. Can I go to Beka and Yura's? I can sleep there. Right?" 

God damn it. Yuri gave him a very subtle  _ 'do that, and I'll kill you and then myself'  _ look, but Medina was still smiling up at him, and he knew he owed her. "Right. You can pick her up after breakfast?" 

To Otabek's surprise, their parents agree, causing Yuri to repeatedly stomp on his foot beneath the table. 

After paying and a quick goodbye, they were on their way to the car, Medina trailing after then. 

"Don't think I'm going to do anything nice to you tonight, Altin." Yuri hissed and glared at him. "Why did you say yes?!"

"I owed her. I'll explain it to you later." 

"How do you owe a thirteen-year-old?" 

"I fucked up, okay? She kind of saved my ass. Be nice to her. I beg you. If you want to be angry with someone, it's me who's at fault." Otabek was incredibly grateful Medina walked so far back that they could talk somewhat openly. 

"You are cursing. Must have been a real problem, then." 

Otabek sighed and opened his mouth, but they reached the car at that moment, so he couldn't say more. His little sister climbed into the back without speaking, either. 

Only after they had been driving for a few minutes, she leaned forward. "Beka said I can call you  _ 'he.' _ Can I call you  _ 'he' _ ?"

Yuri choked on air and stared at his husband, then turned in his seat. "Why would he say something like this?" It was a half question, half accusation. 

"He was pretty angry earlier. With ana and äke because they wouldn't stop with the whole … You know? Thing. And then he spoke about how you can't have kids and that they should stop asking and—"

"He said  _ WHAT _ ?!" 

"That you can't have kids. And he called you  _ 'he.' _ Twice. I think it was because he was so angry." 

Otabek could feel Yuri's gaze drilling into his head. He was happy that he needed to focus on the street. If he weren't the one driving, Yuri would have probably choked him already. 

"But  _ WHY WOULD OTABEK SAY SOMETHING LIKE THIS?" _ It was phrased as a question for Medina, but Otabek knew it was addressing him. 

"Because," he tried to defend himself, "YURA was really, really unhappy about the baby discussion situation, and I wanted to help." 

Yuri huffed and punched his upper arm. "Thank you for the help then. You made things a good chunk easier."

"Really?"

"NO! "

"I thought I'd try my luck." 

"I swear to God, Otabek, I'll choke you!" Medina gasped on the backseat, and Yuri threw his hands over his mouth. 

"YOU SHOULDN'T SWEAR SOMETHING LIKE THAT IN ALLAH'S NAME!" 

"Right. You're right. I'm an idiot. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that." 

"Now, you and Beka are even!" Medina beamed at Yuri, and he gaped at her.

"What do you mean, we are even?" 

"You both said something you shouldn't have about someone else when you were angry." Medina looked so smug, Otabek wondered if she had planned this all along. There was no way she would know Yuri's tendency to curse, though. "Now, you can't be angry with him anymore because at least he wanted to protect you, not choke you!" 

His husband glared at Medina, then at Otabek."If you ever need a lawyer, don't make the mistake of investing in a grown adult. She'll do just fine!" 

There was a chuckle from the backseat. "So can I call you  _ 'he,' _ or not?" 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WELL WELL WELL.  
> A LOT of you lovelies told me that you are afraid or dreadful of the family visit. Turns out, you had your reasons.  
> Let's see. Yuri gives a lesson on Muslims, Beka's mother IMMEDIATELY went for the pregnancy shit, Beka slips up and his sister is a lovely angel and demon in one person.  
> What are your thoughts on all the things I dropped on you this week? 
> 
> Thank you for reading, and I would love to hear from you!  
> I'm also on  
> tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/venom-for-free  
> instagram: https://www.instagram.com/venom_for_free/  
> or twitter: https://twitter.com/venom_for_free


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recap Chapter 12: Yuri learned a lot about Muslims and gets Otabek to quiz him on the topic. They discuss pregnancy. Otabek accidentally uses “he” in front of his family. The situation is tense, but his sister Medina supports them.

Yuri was still pissed when they entered the apartment. Yet, by now, it had shifted from anger with Otabek to anger about Medina. Mostly because he couldn't comprehend how clever she was, it seemed. Even Otabek, who had seen her grow up to some degree, was surprised how quickly she developed. 

Once in the apartment, she bounded off to run around and look at things. It had been years since she last saw Otabek's place. 

"Do you … want a hug? Or should I leave you alone right now?" 

Yuri glared at him but demanded a hug nonetheless. Because otherwise,  _ 'Otabek would have won.'  _ "So we are babysitting now? And I can't take off my make-up and hair and Mila's clothes?" 

"I'm so sorry, Юрийым. I don't know why she wanted to come over. But—" 

"You owed her. I know."

"But you don't know the whole story." So he took the time and recounted the conversation as best as he could. Yuri smacked his head for slipping up like that but congratulated him on the story about his name. It was accurate and also the reason why he continued to use  _ 'Yuri.' _

"And your mother really demanded that you form a sentence with my name and female pronouns?! Sorry but that's a  _ little _ crazy …" 

"My mom is not crazy.  _ Especially _ not for asking for that. Since, you know, she's right. You aren't—" 

"DO YOU HAVE ANY SIBLINGS, YURA?" 

Otabek sighed and turned towards the kitchen. "Anyone want some tea?" 

Medina looked at him in surprise. "You don't have to do that! Yuri is right here! I am, too!" 

"Yeah, but you are in conversation. Just let me make tea. I'm an adult." 

"Can you cook, too?!" 

"He's the best." Yuri's smile was unusually fond. "Otabek can do many things that aren't … traditional."

"And you?" 

"Can do special things?" 

"No. Are you traditional? Mom would  _ never _ make dad cook for himself." 

"I didn't  _ make _ him, though. He decided on his own." 

"But isn't that what wives are for?" 

Yuri was silent for a moment, then turned to Otabek. "Bekam, that's a  _ 'you'  _ moment!" 

"But  _ YOU _ are the wife!" Medina straightened up and frowned.

"Right. But—" 

"You  _ ARE _ the wife. Right?" 

Otabek was already next to Yuri, rubbing his back. "Yuri is my partner and—"

Medina squinted at them both, then crossed her arms. She looked straight at Yuri and asked. "Are you trans?" 

Unable to answer appropriately or at least deny it, Yuri made a choked noise. "Ha! I knew it!" Medina pointed first at him and then at Otabek, looking triumphant. 

"Knew what? Yuri hasn't even said that he's—" 

"HE! You keep calling Yuri  _ 'he.' _ And saying he won't have children! And you are gay, not bisexual! And Yuri didn't want to take a husband until you appeared! And you never send pictures of him, only of you. And those clothes are a little too big. Like he has them from a friend! And also, Yuri kept crossing his arms to hide his breasts! All day! But most importantly … most men are either confused or react negatively to being called trans. Yuri just looks … defeated. That's why, right? You're a boy." 

Otabek was about to decline and would have discussed this until Medina accepted what he tried to sell as the truth. But Yuri raised his hand to stop his husband. 

"You're right. What do you want?" 

Medina looked at him with giant eyes. "What do you mean?" 

"What do you want for your silence? Money? Toys? No, you're too old for that. A new phone? Expensive make-up? A short trip? Name your price." 

She blushed, then turned very white. "I want to be allowed to call you  _ 'he.' _ " 

"Granted. What else?" 

"What do you mean, what else?" Medina pouted a little. "I don't want your money. We have enough. I want to know who you really are. That would be cool. Can you show me that?" 

Yuri looked dumbstruck. "You … what?" 

"I want to know who my brother married. You're part of the family now, right? My aunt? Uncle? Auncle? No, wait. That makes no sense. You're my brother-in-law. Right? Just … please let me know? I'm the youngest. Everyone always knows everything before I do! But this could be our secret!" 

Not her words, but Potya's greedy mewling brought Yuri back into reality. He reached down to pet her, obviously still struggling with Medina's discovery. "You do not want to … blackmail me?" 

"No! Oh god, no! No. Our family would flip out. I just want to get to know you better. Increase my chances to be your favorite sister-in-law." She grinned and first rested her arms on the table and then her chin on her hands.  "Please, Yura, show me who you really are?" 

\----------

Yuri took a deep breath. Otabek watched his husband standing in the doorway and tried to give him an encouraging smile. 

"You sure you want this?" Medina nodded. "Okay. Turn around." 

She twisted on the sofa until she could see the hallway where Yuri was standing. Hair shorter, make up wiped off, dressed in a stolen hoodie and black jeans. Otabek wasn't sure his sister would notice the faint bulge, but he did. Yuri's voice was deeper, too. He had forced himself to adopt the higher pitch he spent so many hours training away, but now his voice was as smooth and bare as his face. 

"Hey, pretty boy." Otabek opened his arms, and Yuri immediately climbed into them. 

"You don't call a man pretty! You have to say  _ 'handsome' _ !" Medina beamed at him, and Yuri smiled back. 

"How do you even know what trans means?" 

Otabek wondered, too. It wasn't generally unusual for people her age to know things like that. Still, for a Kazakh, it wasn't exactly common knowledge. Otabek himself only learned about LGBTQ+ related matters when he came to America. Sure, Almaty had a queer scene, but only if one knew where to look, and he never did. Until he stepped into his first gay bar in university. That had been  _ an experience _ . 

"I'm following a YouTuber who recently spoke about being trans. They looked into the issue for quite a while, which was super interesting! I don't think ana and äke even know what it means, but …" Medina shrugged and leaned back. "Was all that hair a wig?" 

"Yes and no. I cut it off after the wedding. Ran around with Beka's hairstyle for a month, but I looked like an angry lesbian. So I grew it back out. But I kept the braid because I thought I'll never know when I might need two and a half feet of hair." 

Medina laughed warmly. "Do you have pictures of yourself with an undercut?" Yuri did. He showed them to her, and Medina kept laughing. "This really didn't do you any favors." 

"I know. Thank you for reminding me." But he was grinning, too. For the first time after they picked up Otabek's family, Yuri looked actually comfortable. 

Medina noticed, too. "You're smiling. You're very handsome when you smile." And Otabek wasn't entirely sure, but it looked like there was the slightest blush on her cheeks. 

"Thank you, little one." Yuri reached over and tousled her hair, causing Medina to hiss at him. Yeah. Definitely a blush. 

Otabek realized he hadn't laughed since they picked up his family either. Until now. Because, for some reason, Yuri could be himself around a small part of their family. And even if Medina was just a teenager, and everyone else would freak out and probably avoid both of them, Otabek felt blessed. 

\----------- 

When he woke, Yuri was on top of him. Not sleeping, not cuddling, but straddling him and staring down at Otabek with a somewhat hungry, needy look. 

"Oh, great. You are awake. Can I blow you?" 

"Huh?" Otabek rubbed his eyes, blinking a few times to try and see one Yuri instead of two. "Goo' Mornin'" 

"Morning Bekam, can I—" 

"OTABEK?!" 

Yuri threw his head back and groaned. "I'm getting cockblocked by a kid." 

Otabek was stretching, trying to get his body to wake up. "YEAH?" Then, he turned to Yuri. "You're getting cockblocked by the fact that I'm still half comatose." 

"You're still hard." He moved his ass over Otabek's crotch, and sharp little stars prickled up inside Otabek's stomach. 

"Can I?" His hands hovered over Yuri's hips. After a moment of thinking, Yuri nodded, and Otabek lowered his hands, squeezing Yuri and holding him in place. 

"CAN I COME IN?" 

Fuck's sake. "NO?" 

Yuri gave him a sly grin, then began to gently push his hips forward. Otabek was slotted between his cheeks, and the drag sent shivers through his still waking body—

"ARE YOU NAKED?" 

He groaned tiredly, his head dropping back against the pillow. When had he arched up? "NO!" 

Yuri was still grinning as he leaned forward, his hands now splayed over Otabek's chest as he dragged his hips back and forth. Slowly, teasingly. 

"THEN WHY CAN'T I COME IN? I FOUND OLD PICTURES! CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT THEM?" 

Medina's voice should be enough to kill his erection, but Yuri felt  _ so good.  _ He was warm. Soft and hard in the right places, and currently relentlessly bucking against his hips. Otabek felt like a teenager, but he couldn't stop his husband or himself. 

"I CAN TELL YOU OVER BREAKFAST? IF YOU WANT? WOULD YOU MIND PREPARING IT?" 

He held on to Yuri's hips, who was by now flushed a healthy pink and was rolling his hips in more than a suggestive tease. Yuri was panting slightly, but Otabek wouldn't call him out, afraid Yuri might stop. Instead, he kept relentlessly grinding against the cleft of his ass, mouth open, eyes unfocused but still trained on Yuri, Yuri,  _ Yuri.  _

"OKAY! DO YOU WANT COFFEE? YURA?" 

Both grunted out what could be considered a  _ 'yes' _ with enough imagination, neither daring to speak at this point. 

Otabek's fingers dug into the soft skin of Yuri's hips, who by now had wholly fallen forward and was muttering multilingual curses into Otabek's ear. 

"Fuck, fuck, Beka, I'm … oh god, fuck …" 

He pulled Yuri hastily into a kiss, deep and burning hot. And not a second too early, because Yuri tensed on top of him, cramped his small body into an even tighter spring, and then loosen with a deep moan Otabek barely managed to swallow. 

It was the best damn thing in the world. The most beautiful noise he ever heard. He was so caught up in his Yuri, his warmth, his closeness, that Otabek was surprised when his own release slammed into him like a sledgehammer, only seconds after his partner's. Yuri was still riding out the sensation. 

Then, they just lay there. For a minute or two, neither of them talked or moved, except for Otabek's hand, caressing Yuri's back. From time to time, Yuri would twitch on top of him. 

After a particularly hard shiver, he raised his head, eyes glossy and cheeks pink. Yuri looked more done in than after a blowjob. "Holy shit …" 

"Indeed." 

"No, you don't … understand.  _ Holy shit _ ." 

Otabek opened his eyes, and frowned. Apparently, he almost drifted to sleep. "Bad or good?" 

"I …  _ holy shit _ ?" That didn't exactly help him to understand the situation. "I never … expected to have my first orgasm … in my husband's bedroom … while he's talking to his … little sister …" 

Now that was a lot of information, and Otabek had no idea where to start. So he picked the one thing his brain was hooked on. "First?" 

Yuri nodded and nestled himself against Otabek's throat. "I never let anyone touch me. And I never wanted to touch myself … " He shivered again. "I guess Medina was just enough of a distraction to … forget? How I feel about this whole thing? And just enjoy myself?" He dropped kisses onto Otabek's neck. "The bad thing is, there will be fewer blowjobs in the future. The good thing is, there will be much more of this." He grinned and sucked a small hickey into Otabek's neck. "Fuck, I feel so good. I'm going to panic in a bit, I just know it. Don't let me. Don't let me turn this into a bad thing. Promise me." 

Otabek nodded, squeezing Yuri to his chest. "What do you want me to do if you panic?" 

"Just kiss me when I'm about to say something dumb. And don't let me overthink it. Fuck, I'm so wet. This is your fault." Yuri leaned up, and looked down and between them. Otabek's boxer briefs were soaked with fluid. "Awww, we match." Yuri chuckled and tossed his leg over Otabek, so he fell onto his back next to his husband. 

"Can I clean you up?" Otabek didn't expect any kind of yes, but he wanted to try nonetheless. 

And Yuri actually thought about it. "Well …" he reached into his underwear and brought his hand back, slick with his arousal. "That's all I can offer." Otabek gingerly took the wet fingers into his hand and wrapped his lips around them, sucking them thoroughly clean. Yuri watched with big, shimmering eyes. "God. I wish I could shove my cock down your throat, you pervert." 

Otabek smirked and took Yuri's fingers deeper into his throat. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope, you filthy nuggets are happy.   
> More romance, more discussions, more Medina.   
> I was honestly surprised about HOW MUCH y'all loved her, but I am very happy about it.   
> Also, and you might like to hear that ... since OMGTWH is slowly coming to a close and you all are blessing me with your stories, your comments, your thoughts, your love, and your time each week, I decided to start working on a sequel.   
> You can thank some beautiful souls in particular for this, who keep yelling at me to write more.  
> Please keep talking to me. Please keep telling me about yourself, or START doing so. 
> 
> Thank you for reading, and I would love to hear from you!  
> I'm also on  
> tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/venom-for-free  
> instagram: https://www.instagram.com/venom_for_free/  
> or twitter: https://twitter.com/venom_for_free


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recap chapter 13: Medina visits them for the night. She realizes that Yuri is trans and befriends him further. They get in a quick round of morning frottage, but Medina insistently tries to make conversation through it. It goes somewhat well, nonetheless. 
> 
> DISCLAIMER:   
> I know I said the Altins are conservative at the start of the fic, and I keep mentioning it in the comments, but PLEASE keep that in mind while reading the chapter. This is NOT a complete representation of Muslims. While there are people out there with traditional values and thought patterns, there are also very modern families with liberal ideas. I tried to counterbalance the way Otabek's parents behave with Medina. There is good and evil in everyone and light and darkness all the same, in every religious and non-religious person.

"Aaaand, this one is from around six years back when you had this phase in which you called me uncle because we saw each other so little, you forgot I'm your brother." 

The doorbell rang, and Otabek looked up. Yuri's spoon cluttered into his fruit oatmeal. "FUCK!" He jumped up and bounded into their bedroom. 

Otabek cursed a little less loudly, but stood, too. They had utterly forgotten his family wanted to come over for an hour or two before they were supposed to show them around the city. As if they were visiting for the first time. But apparently, with Yuri, everything was different and new. 

He opened the door to his parents and two sisters. Danata waved at Medina and hurried into the room, happy to greet the youngest. She barely looked at Otabek, but their relationship had never been the most warm. Batima smiled, a little more shy. 

"Can we come in?" 

"Of course." He stepped further to the side, allowing her and his parents into the apartment. He and Yuri had cleaned it until it was spotless just the day before. The evening with Medina, however, caused a few askew blankets and some stray mugs on the coffee table. 

"Where is Yuri? Does she know what it looks like in here?!" Otabek's mother was  _ scandalized  _ about the chaos. After all, she had eight children, and her home was spotless. Otabek would not mention that only the youngest three still lived at home and that they behaved more like a cleaning service than children. 

"Getting ready, so still in the bedroom." 

"Now? She's getting ready  _ now _ ? What has she done all morning? Clearly not cleaning." 

"Ana." 

"What? Her family seems so nice and proper. I thought she had better manners. Treating my poor, hardworking boy to a messy apartment. Is she like this with all of her chores?" 

"Yuri  _ has no chores _ . We share the work. Always have, and hopefully, always will. We were having breakfast with Medina, so cleaning took a backseat. It's important to eat. And don't worry, we didn't ruin her with our  _ godless ways _ . She prayed, spoke god's name before eating, and I made sure she wouldn't even have to look at anything that's not Halal." 

His mother crossed her arms. "That should have been her task." 

"I just told you, she did all of this and—"

"Not  _ Medina _ . Yuri. She should make sure Medina is following all the guidelines." 

Otabek stared at her. Then he took his mother's hand and did his best to speak loud and clear. "I don't know how else to say this, but … Yuri is not religious, and neither am I. Our household has no god. We support you and äke and the girls in your religion. But we will  _ never _ raise a child in the name of Allah or any other god. Not our own, not a friend's kid." 

For a moment, she looked as if Otabek had slapped her, but then she brought up a hand and cupped his cheek. "It's okay, Beka. Once you look into those small, beautiful eyes, you'll know what the right thing is. And until then, don't forget to—" 

The bedroom door opened, and Otabek was incredibly grateful. He had no idea what Yuri threw on, but it didn't matter. He could walk out in combat boots, mesh thighs, and a rainbow crop top for all Otabek cared. If he had to listen to one more word of this … 

"YURI! What have you done?!" 

He looked up and found Yuri in the doorway, hair still short. He was wearing female clothes, but his make-up was only half done. His whole body was shaking.

"Beka … it's happening." 

Without thinking, he jumped over the couch and hug-dragged Yuri back into the bedroom. Away from his family, away from prying eyes and ears and into the safety of their own four walls, so Yuri could  _ at least _ break down without being judged. 

\---------- 

For several long minutes, Otabek simply held him. Yuri curled into his lap and cried—no, sobbed—so hard, Otabek was afraid his muscles would be sore later. 

He didn't dare to speak. What was he supposed to say? Otabek couldn't even be sure what exactly brought on the panic attack. He knew it probably had something to do with their morning activities. And perhaps also with his rushed makeover. But had Yuri heard his mother? 

When he eventually calmed down, Otabek began to play with Yuri's hair, and brushed his thumb over his cheek, cleaning away the tears. "Hey, little one. I'm here." 

Yuri huffed and buried his face in Otabek's neck. "You're tiny." His voice was broken and raw, but he was still poking fun at Otabek. He took this as a good sign. 

"Yeah. But I can still fit you into my lap. So you're the little one." Yuri huffed again and nosed along his pulse to indicate he was paying attention. "I’ve always loved your hair most when it's like this. Longer, but still short. Visually, a genderless mess. But like, with a dick." The slight puff of air against his neck told him that Yuri was laughing. Just a tiny bit. But it was there. "I think I should pull it more often. I feel like you'd like that. For all I know, you're pretty kinky and just hide it well." Yuri squirmed, and his hand fell on Otabek's chest, brushing over his pecks. "Yeah? That's a yes, right? My handsome, kinky boy." 

"Pretty." 

"Hmm?" 

"Pretty boy. I'm your pretty boy. I'm your  _ sister's  _ handsome boy." Another soft puff of air. 

"Shit. Okay. Do I have to compete against my thirteen-year-old sister now?" 

Yuri nodded and kissed his neck. "At least someone in your family likes me." 

Oof. That was … unfortunately hard to debate. So far, his family hadn't been the most welcoming towards Yuri. At least, not after the wedding. Not after they had gotten everything they wanted out of this. Except for a child. Which they were pushing for now. 

"And she even likes the real you. Not the porcelain doll face." 

"I guess that's right." He sniffled a little, then rubbed his nose on Otabek's shirt. 

For a second, he wanted to tell Yuri that that was gross. However, he remembered his husband just had a panic attack and was still acting pretty damn reasonable, so he let him be a little disgusting. "Good news is, they have seen you with short hair now, so you might as well just keep it like that." 

"Fuck's sake. I'm a fucking mess. Why can't I get any fucking thing right? Ever?" Yuri shook again, but this time it felt more like anger than panic. 

"Baby, you're amazing. Don't let the crooked perception of others ruin you." 

"And this morning? I got off, Otabek. By rubbing on you! That's not supposed to happen! I … this part of my body doesn't belong to me! It shouldn't bring me pleasure!" 

He rubbed Yuri's back, shushing him gently. This wasn't a conversation his family needed to hear on top of everything else. "Why not?" 

"What do you mean, why not?" Yuri leaned back and looked at him as if Otabek had three heads.

He had to laugh a bit because Yuri looked like one half of a panda, with his smudged mascara on only one eye. "Sorry. Didn't mean to laugh. You just look so … forget it. But why can't your body bring you pleasure, baby? I know you despise what you have been born with, and it feels foreign to you. But you can still use it. The natural function is not … cut off? Of the rest of you? When stimulated, it's normal that you might react with pleasure." 

Yuri licked his lips and looked contemplative. "I don't like how good it make me feel when normally, it make me feel like shit. I'm not a woman!" 

"Do you feel like it would make you less masculine to enjoy touch there?" 

Otabek could see the marbles collide in Yuri's brain. "I … think I do. I … think, if I like being touched there, it means I'm a girl? And I've been lying to myself for all these years?" His breathing picked back up, and Yuri's eyes filled with panic again. 

"Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey there. I like swimming. Doesn't make me a dolphin. Just because we like what our body lets us do, doesn't mean it changes who we are." 

Yuri took a deep breath. He still looked panicked and a little lost, but Otabek could see he was making an effort to relax. "I'm a man, right?" 

"You don't need me to confirm that for you." 

"Shut up, you fucking therapist. I'm a man, right? Even if your family treats me like a woman?" Otabek nodded. "And I'm still a man, even if rubbing my clit can apparently get me off?" He nodded again. 

Yuri sniffled, but he managed to make it sound determined. "Okay. Let's do this. One week in hell. And when that's over, I'll fucking rail you over the kitchen table. Deal?" Otabek gaped at him. "DEAL?" It took a lot of effort to make his tongue move, so he gave up. Eventually, he managed a few jerky nods. "Nice. Now let's get this party started." 

\------------- 

"Hi. Sorry about that. It's so pleasant to see you! My family texted me about a close friend. I thought she was severely unwell, but as it turns out, I misread the messages. Welcome to our home, please excuse the disorder." He pointed at the few items that were out of place. 

"Hello, Yuri." Otabek's father smiled at his son-in-law, but it barely reached his eyes. "What happened to your hair?" 

"The summer heat made me cut it. It's so much warmer than Saint Petersburg. But I kept the braid so I can wear it when I feel like it." He shrugged as if he wasn't making all of this up on the spot, right after a breakdown. Otabek was incredibly impressed. "And sorry I wasn't around to greet you, but when the doorbell rang, I noticed I was improperly dressed. I have been taught not to present myself like that to any man but mine, so I rushed off to change." 

By now, Otabek wondered if Alexander Plisetsky was aware of what a great mind he lost for his cooperation. When he told Yuri not to go to university because that wasn't what women did, he had thrown away a great opportunity. 

He encircled Yuri in his arms and kissed him. "Now you're here. I missed you." 

Yuri gave him a happy smile and a kiss on his cheek. 

"Do your parents know?" The voice of Otabek’s father was clipped. 

"Pardon?" 

"Your parents, Yuri. Do they know about your hair?" 

"Oh, yeah. It was actually even shorter for a bit. They didn't like that too much, but this length appeals to them it seems." 

"And Otabek?" 

"Otabek appeals to them, too." Yuri's tone was friendly but challenging. It was evident that he was polite but tired of this shit. Otabek thought he was right. Yuri didn't need to justify his decisions. 

When he didn't receive the answer he wanted immediately, Otabek's father turned to him. "Do you like your wife looking like this?" 

"I couldn't care less about Yura's hair. If she's happy …" He had to make a conscious effort to use that damn word, but Yuri smiled and kissed his cheek again. Otabek was forgiven. 

His mother pouted, but relented. She knew she couldn't speak against his word without sounding like a hypocrite. 

\----------

Even though it was snowing, it was a sunny day. Most stores and attractions were closed over the holidays. Still, they found a small Indian restaurant for lunch that Otabek’s parents seemed amazed by. Mostly because a lot of the food was vegan, and even though meat was something well-loved in Kazakhstan, eating vegan or vegetarian was easier abroad. 

Yuri mostly chatted with Medina. She called him  _ 'he' _ without fail. When their father tried to scold her for it, Yuri explained that he liked it and that it was fun and that she was a great child. 

They patiently showed his parents the library, the more significant churches, the local school. Eventually, Danata complained that she was cold, so they returned to Otabek and Yuri's apartment. 

Technically, it was almost Christmas. But since neither the Russian nor Kazakh part of the family celebrated the event, no one really cared. Instead, they sat together for the evening and spoke about family stories.

No one brought up having children again, and Otabek's mom reduced her quipping significantly with Yuri around. It was almost peaceful. They drank hot chocolate and exchanged old, embarrassing stories about what they were like as kids. At some point, Yuri's parents called, and they even managed to have their respective families talk with each other for a while. 

When he was sure no one was watching, Otabek leaned over. "I have a Christmas present for you. But you'll have to open it alone." 

Yuri smirked at him and turned his head for a sneaky kiss. "Are you my present?" 

"Kind of." 

"I want to unwrap you." 

"Yeah?" 

"Yeah—" 

They were interrupted by Danata, clearing her throat. Yuri's smile at her was a little bit too saccharine. "Oh, sorry, darling. You'll understand when you meet  _ your _ husband." 

Otabek almost spat out his gingerbread cookies. He squeezed Yuri's hip, half as a warning, half in appreciation. 

"I'm sure I will. But I will also know to keep that in my bedroom. Allah sees you, Yuri." 

"Well, if he likes to watch …" The room was immediately quiet. Everyone stared at him as if he—well, as if he insulted their God. Yuri shrugged, completely nonchalant. "A lot of Muslims pray before intercourse. Does this not mean Allah will watch over them to bless the baby? Sorry but to me—" 

Otabek's mother cleared her throat, much louder. "It's late. We should leave. We can get a taxi. You don't have to drive us." 

He hadn't planned to; after all, they had initially only been invited for breakfast. Though Otabek admitted, it had been enjoyable. Until now. "Okay. Do you want to meet for a late lunch tomorrow?" 

His parents checked with each other, then nodded. 

"Can I stay here?" Medina looked hopefully between her mother and father, but they shook their heads, apparently spooked by the thought alone. Yuri had done an excellent job of ensuring they would be alone that night. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that was not a long, but a very full chapter, I guess.   
> We had Yuri's panic attack, an entire gender discussion, a family confrontation, a sightseeing tour AND a Christmas evening, all in under 2500 words. Now, I can't wait to hear your thoughts. And since I can FEEL people getting ready to scream about Momma Altin - please remember to keep it respectful. They can't actually hear your words. I can. 
> 
> Thank you for reading!  
> I'm also on  
> tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/venom-for-free  
> instagram: https://www.instagram.com/venom_for_free/  
> or twitter: https://twitter.com/venom_for_free


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recap Chapter 14:  
> Yuri has a panic attack when Otabek's family shows up surprisingly. They have a discussion about gender and identity.  
> Meanwhile, Otabek's mother looks for ways to criticize Yuri because no one really is good enough for her baby. The family spends the day sightseeing. Then, Otabek mentions a gift to Yuri, who makes sure the entire family is gone for the night.

Once the apartment was finally empty, Yuri climbed onto his lap again. "Hi, Teddy…" 

"Hi." Otabek grinned and grabbed his hips. "You gave up with my family, didn't you?" 

"They hate me anyway. Might as well give them a reason to." He shrugged and draped his arms around Otabek's neck. "Why don't we stop talking about family and start talking about that gift you mentioned?" 

Without thinking, Otabek lifted Yuri and carried him to the bedroom, the smaller man clinging to him like a koala.

"It shouldn't turn me on so much when you manhandled me, right? But I really want your dick in my mouth." 

"I had other ideas." 

Yuri perked up, obviously interested but at the same time completely distrustful. "Yeah?" 

"Yeah." Otabek plopped him down onto the bed. "Close your eyes." Although he was obviously doubtful, Yuri did as he was told. Otabek retrieved a small gift box from the closet. "Open them again." 

He handed the parcel over to Yuri, who unpacked it with slightly shaky fingers. 

"You wouldn't give me a joke gift. Right? Like, I don't know, a blow-up dick? Because that would be cruel. And not funny." 

"I know." 

"Good." 

Yuri lifted the smaller box out of the wrapping paper. For a bit, he stared. After what looked like a moment of internal negotiations, he looked at his husband. "Explain." 

Otabek nodded. "That's a strap on. You probably read that already. But … you said you would like to see me suck your dick. Now you can do just that. And … it's modified. It has a vibe over the clit, so it would feel nice for you, too. And I don't need to touch you for it! It's all up to you. You have the full power, and can do whatever you want with it." 

"Whatever I want?" Otabek nodded again. "Even fuck you with it?" 

"If that's what you think would feel good to you …" 

Yuri gaped. "Have you  _ ever _ bottomed?" 

"Not yet." 

"But you would for me?"

"I would do so much more than that." 

This time, Yuri shivered. "I want to try! Come here." 

"Blowjob or sex?" 

"I don't know yet. Do you … fuck. Okay. I can do this. If you show me so much trust, I can do that, too. Undress me, Beka. Completely." 

In all their months together after the wedding, Otabek hadn't seen Yuri in less than underwear. He typically wore pajamas to bed. When they became a couple, not much changed. Once or twice, he would wear a small top and booty shorts. But naked,  _ really  _ naked … that was new. 

Otabek nodded. He repositioned himself so he could kneel in front of Yuri. With shaking fingers, he tugged Yuri's socks off and kissed his feet. 

"Gross." 

"Let me appreciate my husband." 

Yuri relaxed in his hold. "You're a dumbass, Beka. Feet don't need appreciation." 

"Yours do. All of you deserves to be loved." He kissed the arch of Yuri's foot and was almost kicked in the face from an accidental jerk. That's when Otabek decided he would move his focus to a less dangerous area. 

He kissed up Yuri's ankles, hands trailing over the black fabric pants and up to Yuri’s waistband. Otabek traced his finger over them, then opened the fly, and what he found almost killed him. 

Yuri was wearing thin lacy panties. 

When he looked up to ask about them, Otabek noticed Yuri was flushed crimson. "I didn't want to put on boy underwear because if I bend over and they are visible … these would be less problematic." 

"And here I thought you put those on after this morning …" 

"Fuck you, Otabek. Maybe." 

He grinned, and Yuri's blush spread beneath his collar. Otabek decided he needed to see all of it and leaned up to drag Yuri's sweater over his head, only to be left breathless. 

Yuri was wearing a tiny silver bralette. Otabek looked up in surprise. 

"It's … pretty. And it feels like a binder. Even though the results are obviously different." 

Beneath the thin, shimmering material were Yuri's breasts. Small, firm, and round. Otabek wondered what they would feel like in his hands, how his skin would taste, and if Yuri would shiver if he sucked his—

"You're staring." 

"Oh. I'm sorry. I just wondered … forget it." Otabek smiled apologetically and pulled Yuri's bralette off. He was exercising great care, so no skin around his husband's slight curves would be touched. 

Without clothes, Otabek noticed Yuri was somewhere between an a-cup and a b-cup. Which was more than he expected beneath all the loose clothes and the binder. Otabek tried his best not to stare, but he hadn't seen that part of his husband before. So he was fascinated. With great wonder, he noticed a fiery red tinting the skin where Yuri was blushing under his gaze. 

"You're beautiful. You know that, right?" 

"Yeah. Sure. I'm as beautiful as a fucking cow with two utters." 

Otabek swiped his thumb over Yuri's ribs, an inch beneath the swell of his breast. "I really think you are great the way you are, but I'm not telling you how to feel about your body." 

"Good. Because I hate them." 

"You know that we could do more chest workouts? You have barely any body fat, but more muscles would change the definition." He leaned forward, and when Yuri didn't flinch, Otabek pressed a kiss between his breasts, lips landing on the flat sternum. "I love you." 

Yuri's blush spread, and he opened his legs a little more, seemingly without thinking about it. 

"Can I take your pants off now?" 

A shy nod, Yuri's hand in Otabek's hair. 

He smiled and dropped lower again. Yuri angled his hips and lifted himself off the bed, so Otabek could pull off his pants. The lace beneath them made his mouth water, but he didn't dare let Yuri know. Otabek was afraid his husband would feel objectified or fetishized. 

When his family came over, Yuri had begrudgingly shaved most of his body. He hadn't touched this part, but Otabek wasn't sure if it was a conscious decision or based on dysphoria and the profound wish not to touch himself there if he didn't absolutely have to. 

He brushed his thumb over the lace, where it was raised by coarse, dark blond hair. Yuri shivered, and Otabek pulled his fingers back, mortified about his lack of control. 

"No … no, it's … it's okay … Just … don't go lower?" 

Otabek nodded and lightly pressed his thumb back, brushing it up and left and right but not a fraction further down. He was mesmerized, both by the unknown body and by Yuri's trust. 

Against all his expectations, Yuri hooked his thumbs into the panties and carefully pulled them down. He was naked now, out in the open and vulnerable. 

"Where do you want to be touched?" 

Yuri didn't answer immediately. Instead, he leaned forward and began to silently take off Otabek's clothes. Only when they were both naked did he look back up. "You can touch me everywhere, but not my chest and not my—" Otabek nodded, he understood without a specific word, but Yuri frowned at him. "Pussy. Not there." He looked like he had just thrown up, but there was also a fiercely proud glint in his eyes. "Where you have been is okay, but not lower." 

"Okay." Otabek smiled and stood up. What he hadn't thought about was that Yuri was now more or less faced with his dick bobbing right under his nose. And as always, he underestimated Yuri's affection for that part of him. Within a heartbeat, he had his lips wrapped around Otabek's length and grinned. Hands on his partner's hips, Yuri guided his husband into the back of his throat. "Hey!" Otabek laughed, breathless. "Hey, you were the one who wanted to be blown!" 

But Yuri smirked and pushed him deeper. Otabek let him. Whatever control he wanted or needed would be his. After a minute of Yuri drooling all over him, he seemed to be feeling better. The blush was down to a minimum, and his hands were all over Otabek, lips ticked into a smile. 

"Do you … want to play with your gift now?" 

Yuri looked up as if he had forgotten there was a gift in the first place. "Hell yeah." 

After he stood, Yuri walked over and picked up the discarded toy, and Otabek was grateful he couldn't hear his thoughts. Yuri was sin on two gorgeous legs. And just when Otabek was sure it couldn't get any better, Yuri stepped into the harness and pulled it tight. And suddenly, his husband had a proud, thick cock standing to attention between his legs. 

"Holy shit." Yuri brushed over the silicone, rearranging and adjusting until it was where he wanted it. Belatedly, he remembered about the clit vibe Otabek spoke about and readjusted it again. He bristled when the thing touched him, but seeing himself with a dick was too much of a turn-on for him to back out now. "This is the hottest fucking shit, I swear to god." 

Otabek slowly walked over and handed Yuri a remote for the toy  _ inside _ the toy. "You’ve got all the control you want." His husband nodded, but Otabek could see that he wasn't really mentally present as he continued to stroke the silicone. "Do you want me to go down on you now?" 

"Fuck, yes." 

"Standing or sitting down?" 

"Sitting. My knees are weak as fuck." 

He sat and readjusted the toy a third time. For a moment, Otabek was scared that Yuri would be annoyed with it, but instead, he smiled. 

"Good?" 

"Fuck, yes." 

"So you're not angry or disappointed or whatever?" 

Yuri looked up, an eyebrow cocked. "Less talking, more dick sucking." His grin was so broad, it split his face in half. 

Otabek chuckled and knelt between Yuri’s legs, getting to work. The silicone was colder than skin, obviously, but otherwise, the feeling was quite pleasant. He opted for a flesh-colored, phallus-shaped attachment to the harness. Mostly because Yuri mentioned preferring a natural look when they discussed a rainbow packer Mila had gifted him on a whim. 

It seemed to be the right choice because Otabek had barely begun, and Yuri was already moaning like a porn star. He was flushed again, but this time it didn't seem to be from embarrassment. 

"More." 

Otabek nodded and took him deeper. Yuri's moans increased in intensity. If he kept this up, they would hear from the neighbors tomorrow. 

For a few moments, Yuri seemed content to slide the toy in and out of Otabek's mouth. His eyes were glossy and unfocused already, but then he reached for the remote, and when it activated, his hips bucked so hard, Otabek gagged for a moment. 

Yuri didn't even seem to notice. He was panting now, hands clenching and unclenching both at the base of his dick and in Otabek's hair. "Fuck, fuck, fuck, FUCK!" 

Otabek barely understood what was going on when Yuri was already shivering, helplessly bucking into the back of his throat. He whined and cursed and muttered as his body clenched and twisted. Belatedly, Otabek realized that the vibe was still on, still torturing him, still stimulating his sensitive body when Yuri was already groaning louder, bucking harder, fucking his face deeper. 

Otabek tried hard to breathe, to stay afloat as Yuri all but abused his throat. He thrust into his lover's mouth with reckless abandon, too far gone from the waves and waves of mindless pleasure overwhelming him. 

Within five minutes, everything was over. Otabek had finally found the remote and turned it off, after Yuri screamed his name so loud, he was afraid he'd get into trouble with the  _ neighbors  _ of their neighbors. 

Now, the younger man was lying on his back, chest heaving with failed attempt after failed attempt to fill his lungs with air. Yuri was continuously shivering in what looked like violent pulses. One of his hands was still clamped into Otabek's hair. He didn't expect to be released anytime soon. 

"You!" Another shiver, another whimper, more tugging on his hair. His scalp was screaming, but Otabek stayed put. "YOU BOUGHT ME A DEATH MACHINE!" Yuri's head lolled back. He looked as if he had used up every bit of energy he still had in himself. 

Even if Otabek would have wanted to reply, there was no way he could. With the way Yuri had fucked him, he would be happy to be able to speak at all, come morning. 

The hand in his hair relaxed eventually with the rest of Yuri's body. Otabek pulled back, freeing himself from the toy and his husband's death grip to try and  _ not _ cough up his lungs. It was a miserable attempt of composure and he failed thoroughly. 

Only now did Yuri lift his head again, eyes small, face red and glowing. His expression moved from confusion to panic and worry when he realized what he had done. 

"FUCK! BEKA! I'm so sorry! FUCK!" 

He tried to stand but didn't account for the jelly that was now his lower body. Yuri slid unceremoniously to the floor in what seemed to be a fluid movement when his legs gave out. He looked at his limbs as if they didn't belong to him. "What the fuck? WHAT THE FUCK? I CAN'T WALK!" 

Otabek was still trying to get his coughing under control, but by now, it was more the ache in his jaw than the trauma in the back of his throat that seemed to numb his face. He gestured for Yuri to stay put and hurried into the living room to get himself a glass of water. On second thought, he brought a bottle for Yuri, too. 

Once back, he heaved Yuri off the floor and onto the bed. Otabek helped take off the harness because Yuri could barely move still. It was hard to ignore the way Yuri's thighs stuck together. For a moment, he wanted to lick them clean, but then he remembered that Yuri wouldn’t like that, nor would he be able to use his mouth for at least a day. 

After a lot of rearranging, Otabek finally managed to spoon Yuri, blankets covering their sweat-soaked bodies. They would shower in the morning. 

Otabek closed his eyes, ready to fall asleep. He wanted to forget what a terrible idea that had been, with so little preparation on what to expect. But a scratching noise jostled him again. 

"Let her in. She must think you tried to kill me with how much I screamed." Yuri wiggled in his arms, still entirely unable to use his legs. 

Otabek stood and allowed Potya in, who instantly stole his spot behind Yuri. With a huff, Otabek lay back down. 

Yuri smirked at him in the darkness of their bedroom. "That was fun. Let's try that again sometime soon." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yuri got his gift. And oh boy, did he make use of it. Our lovely boys decided on a not so silent, not so holy night.  
> A chapter full of smut for y'all as my not-Christmas present. ♥
> 
> Also, I might have already written almost 30k of the sequel and I might have decided that I need two sequels to finish this story. I'm sorry, but I and the boys will annoy you a little longer than planned. If you let us. 
> 
> Thank you for reading!  
> I'm also on  
> tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/venom-for-free  
> instagram: https://www.instagram.com/venom_for_free/  
> or twitter: https://twitter.com/venom_for_free


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recap Chapter 15  
> Yuri is ready to get his gift, he thinks. It turns out to be a strap-on. Otabek offers to bottom, so they decide to try that out. Yuri allows Beka to take his clothes off and returns the favor. A lot of exploration follows. Otabek gets to get down on his lover. It all goes a little overboard when Yuri goes to town on his throat with a bit too much enthusiasm. Now Otabek can’t talk and Yura can’t walk.

The next morning, Otabek woke to his alarm. He hated that he had to get up on a schedule during their holidays, but it was Christmas morning, and his family would be over soon. Because even though no one in his family, including Yuri and himself, were Christian, this was what they did now. Their plan to create an extended-family-free holiday failed miserably. By now, both Otabek and Yuri had accepted that. 

The latter grunted at the alarm but smiled soon after. "Morning, teddy." Potya had moved during the night, so Yuri cuddled up to him. But when he didn't receive an answer, Yuri frowned. "Hey! I get being grumpy in the morning, but not even a _'hello'_? Who's telling me how pretty I look with my bloated face and sleep mussed hair, if not you?" 

Otabek frowned back, pointed at his throat, opened his mouth, and closed it again. 

Yuri chuckled. "Yeah, okay. I found it breathtaking, too, you nerd. Still not a reason not to talk to me."

Rolling his eyes, Otabek opened his mouth again and produced what was the most pitiful attempt to speak since he had been older than a year. 

Yuri's eyes widened. "Are you fucking with me? Please tell me you are fucking with me. Because I got the memo. I went a little overboard. Alright? I'm sorry. Talk to me?"

Otabek tried to laugh, but what came out sounded more like a donkey and hurt like a punch in the throat. 

"Motherfucker. You really can't speak?!" Panic manifested in Yuri's eyes. "I did this to you! I hurt you!" He touched Otabek's cheek, distress and flat out fear showing more and more. "Beka, I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry. Is it really that bad? Was I that rough? Shit, I can't remember most of it." 

Yuri looked like he wanted to cry, so Otabek lifted his hands, palm down, and tilted it from side to side. _Somewhat bad._

"Do you want tea?!" Yuri brushed his thumbs over Otabek's cheeks as if he was soothing an infant. Still, it felt nice, so Otabek nodded. 

Yuri carefully stood, cursing about his own muscles being sore, before he began to move around a little, seemingly unfazed by his own nakedness. 

"Fucking shit. Forgetting myself in the pleasure of my first blowjob and hurting my partner. How cis-het of me." He rolled his eyes, annoyed with himself. "Couldn't I have gone with the good old gagging?" Otabek made a face, and Yuri understood. "Shit, I made you gag, too? Fuck, I'm a disgrace ..." 

With a swift movement, Otabek grabbed his phone out of his discarded pants and wrote Yuri a message. He felt like a schoolboy exchanging love letters. At least, in theory. He had never really done that. 

**To: Yuri Altin**

**"I'm just glad you liked it so much."**

Yuri took the phone Otabek offered. "Awwww. I love you. I'll get you some tea. Fuck. I can barely walk. What the fuck did you buy?!" 

Otabek grinned. He stood up and began to get dressed. It was Christmas, so he forewent the uncomfortable suits and fitted clothes, and instead opted for loose wool pants and an ugly sweater Yuri ordered for him. 

The latter was doing his best to move, naked and stressed, until Otabek caught him in his arms. Yuri gave him a strained smile and tried to wiggle free, but Otabek kept his arms locked. Finally, Yuri relaxed against him. Sometimes he needed to be forced to calm down. 

Otabek pointed at his own clothes, then at his husband. Yuri's fair complexion tinted a little, but he nodded and hurried off to get dressed himself. In the meantime, Otabek cleaned up any clutter from the night before. He wasn't exactly looking forward to his family talking about Yuri the way they had previously. 

When everything was spotless again, he drank the mint tea Yuri made for him and smiled at his lover. Yuri was just emerging from the bedroom, clad in twin clothes to Otabek's, and grinning a little. 

They ate their breakfast in silence. When the table was cleaned again, Yuri dragged his lover by his lapels to the full-length windows. It was snowing outside. Yuri sat down, pulling Otabek close behind him. For a while, they watched the snow blanket the city in soft white. 

"I didn't mean to hurt you." 

Otabek hummed. He knew. Yuri was his favorite person in the world, and by now, he was relatively confident that it was mutual. 

"We don't have to do it again if you don't want to." 

**To: Yuri Altin**

**"I do. I want all of you. We just have to plan and prepare better."**

Yuri chuckled about the message. "Yeah, who would have known that the fucking virgin would lose his mind when you strap a vibe to him and then give him the most erotic visual in the world. Could have happened to anyone." 

Otabek grinned and placed a row of kisses down Yuri's neck. His hands tightened around his husband's middle. 

"I love you so fucking much, Bekam. So fucking much. You're so good to me." 

This smile from Otabek was softer, his lips now nibbling along Yuri's ear, too. 

"Huff if you love me, too." Yuri's own grin was audible, and it turned into full-blown laughter, when Otabek began puffing air into Yuri's ears, again and again. 

For a moment, Otabek thought about how idyllic his life was, but the silence was interrupted by the doorbell. 

\----------- 

"Why are you sitting on the floor?!" Otabek's mother had barely entered the apartment. Her greetings to her son were so short, she hadn't even noticed his mutism. Otabek's father was staring at him, though, when he bowed and tilted his head instead of speaking. 

On the other side of the room, Yuri sighed and stood up. "Glad to see you, too." 

"Are you getting sassy with me? You must be well prepared if you have time to sit around and —" 

"HHHMMPF!" 

His mother turned around in surprise. "Pardon?" 

Otabek narrowed his eyes and stepped to the side to allow his sisters in. He pointed at his throat, then at his phone and began texting. 

**To: Ana**

**"Don't talk to my partner like this. Not any day of the year, but especially not on Christmas morning!"**

His mother took his phone, read his message, and sighed. She held her hand over his chest and smiled. "My Beka. Such a good and protective husband." Then, she turned to Yuri and shook her head disapprovingly. This time, she stayed silent, though. 

By now, his father had caught up with the situation. "Are you ill?" 

**To: Äke**

**"Sore throat."**

"You seemed fine yesterday." 

Suppressing an annoyed sigh and an eye roll, Otabek croaked out a _'hello.'_

"My baby! What happened, Beka? Do you want some tea?!" 

**To: Ana**

**"I'm fine. It just hurts to talk. Yuri already made me tea."**

As if on command, Yuri brought him another cup of fresh mint tea, but Otabek's mother gasped and took it from him, looking at Yuri as if he called her a fat cow. 

"Mint? _Mint?_ With a sore throat?! Oh, Allah. No!" 

"What's wrong with mint?" 

"The oils are too strong! They increase the symptoms." 

"Actually, the cooling effect eases inflammation." 

"It's tea. It's not supposed to cool." 

Yuri flat out hissed at her. "He's been drinking it just fine. I feel like Beka can decide on his own if he wants to drink my herbal oily poison or not!" 

His mother turned to him, completely disregarding Yuri. "Let me get you a nice, soothing sage tea, yes?" 

**To: Ana**

**"I'll drink Yuri's mint tea. But please feel free to make me a sage tea after."**

She gave Yuri a cocky grin as if she won some invisible competition, then disappeared into the living room. 

Yuri was furious. He turned to Otabek and hisses 'Mama's boy!' at him, before disappearing into the hallway and walking away from Otabek's family. 

The decision of who to follow wasn't hard. "Yuri!" Otabek grabbed his throat. That had been a terrible idea, but at least Yuri paused. 

"What?" 

He put the tea down, then reconsidered and took the cup with him so Potya wouldn't kick it off the shelf. Yuri generously waited for him. When he finally reached him, Otabek cupped his face and leaned down to kiss him tenderly. Then, he nuzzled along Yuri's throat until he reached his ear and huffed some air against it. 

Yuri smiled. "I love you too, you fucking sap. I'm not angry. Not with you. Okay? I just need a minute." 

He nodded, then returned to the living room. His sisters were all on the sofa, talking in agitated, quiet Kazakh. At the same time, his mother brushed her finger over their shelves and seemed disappointed to find them spotless. Otabek's father was standing in front of the big windows, overlooking the city. For a few minutes, he stood next to him. It wasn't a hindrance to be unable to talk. They usually didn't speak much except for business. 

"Yuri …" his father began, and Otabek turned his head to give him a measured look. "You really love her, don't you?" 

Otabek exhaled audibly, happy not to have to listen to more bullshit about his husband. He nodded. 

"I'm glad. I know Ana is strict with her. But you're our only boy. And our eldest. She wants what's best for you." 

**To: Äke**

**"I have what's best for me."**

His father smiled at the message. "Good. Good." 

And that was it. 

\---------- 

Yuri came back twenty minutes later and hugged Otabek from behind. He tugged on Yuri until they were in a proper hug. When Otabek tilted his head to the side to ask what was going on, Yuri explained that he spoke with his parents and that they were fine, but that he also missed them a little, even though he was happy they weren't physically around. He said the last part very quietly, though, so Otabek's family wouldn't feel attacked. 

The day was calmer than they expected at first. Most of the time, there was a Disney movie running in the background. They played card games for a while, then Yuri destroyed everyone's ego during chess. Their lunch was lazy, but Yuri wanted to cook dinner. Most of the family volunteered to help, but Yuri threw everyone but Medina and Otabek out. 

Once the door was closed, she picked up Potya and sat down at the smaller breakfast table. "So … what is this sore throat of yours about? Because this has to do with sex, doesn't it?" 

Otabek nearly spat out his tea. "Wha'?" It almost choked him to press out the word, but there was no room for a text message. 

Yuri was blinking in confusion, too. "Why would you say that?!" 

Medina grinned and pointed at him. "You're walking funny. And Beka doesn't have many secrets from me, but he's been weird about this all day. Also … that reaction basically proves all I need to know." She shrugged and made kissy noises at Potya. 

"Are you going to tell me what happened?" 

He wanted to die of shame, but Yuri just shook his head. "What happens in the bedroom … " 

\----------- 

"So … what is this sore throat of yours about? Because this has to do with sex, doesn't it?" 

Otabek had a déjà vu. He looked at Yuri and hoped his husband would keep his lips just as tightly locked as he had when Medina asked the same question a day ago. But the sly smile paired with the second glass of wine didn't leave much room for hope when he leaned forward and grinned at Mila. 

"Bingo." 

Otabek said nothing because, honestly, it wasn't worth the pain. 

"How do you get a sore throat from sex, though?!" Leo looked between them.

Mila looked at Guang Hong, her expression pitiful. "I'm so sorry to hear that, Ji." 

The young man snorted in answer, and Leo was even more confused. "Huh? Guys? How do you get a sore throat from sex?" 

Mila ignored him and turned back to Yuri, who was comfortably lounging on the big living room sofa. "Did he catch the strap?" 

Yuri grinned and gave her finger guns. Mila leaned forward and blew the smoke off. 

Otabek still said nothing, but now he was blushing a little. Mila's thumbs up didn't help too much. 

"I just want to know why Yuri is limping. Like, the whole story. Not the watered-down _'cock in ass, that's it'_ bullshit. I need details." Chris refilled their wine glasses, Phichit next to him, nodding excessively as he giggled and almost spilled some wine. It made Otabek wonder if they only had their second glass, too. 

"No cock in my ass." Yuri proclaimed. Now, the room was silent. 

"Did you … did he put it … you know?" Leo's mouth hung open, and he gestured between his legs. 

"Into my pussy? No." Yuri shrugged, seemingly no longer bothered by the crass language. "But I wore a harness with a vibe. That he sucked. Not the vibe, just the cock attached to the harness." 

Minami whimpered a little. When Otabek looked over to him, the boy was flaming red, hands pressed into his lap. Huh. Cute. He wasn't sure if Minami had a crush on Yuri or was just turned on by the thought of him in a harness, but Otabek could relate, so he stayed silent. Since Yuri and him were officially dating, his jealousy had relaxed a lot. 

"Why would you suck an artificial cock, though?" 

The whole room booed at Leo, Sara threw a few popcorn kernels. "For the fun of it, my god. You sound like a straight dude." 

"But … Yura can't feel that? And Beka doesn't get anything out of it either?!" 

Mila grinned and pointed at Otabek. "Except for a sore throat. Good for you, baby." She blew him a kiss, and Otabek stoically caught it and put it into his pocket. Mila cackled like a witch. 

"And why exactly are you limping then?" Phichit popped his bubble gum, head resting on Chris' shoulder. 

"I might have come so hard, and so often my muscles cramped and now I am a tense mess. That fucking vibe ..." 

Chris groaned, Mila gasped, and Guang Hong shrieked in delight. At least their misery was entertaining. 

"Cheers to you guys." Sara giggled. The rest of the group followed, raising their glasses. "To good friends and even better sex." 

This evening was easily Otabek's favorite Christmas memory. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second to last chapter! Look at those losers, unable to take care of themselves for longer than a minute. I love them so much.  
> We get some more family Altin and some more Medina, as well as the gang.  
> Can you believe part one is almost over? Don't worry though. I shall continue posting with part two as if there was never a break.  
> It is almost finished and at 38k right now. I hope you all love it as much as part one. Also *sighs* part three confirmed.  
> Come and talk to me! 
> 
> Thank you for reading!  
> I'm also on  
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> instagram: https://www.instagram.com/venom_for_free/  
> or twitter: https://twitter.com/venom_for_free


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 16 recap: Otabek still can’t speak. Yuri struggles to walk. But they are crazy in love. They settle and talk about the previous day. Otabek’s family returns and Yuri’s mother gets into a spit with him again. They somewhat solve it and Yuri spends the evening cooking with Otabek and Medina. Later, they see the gang. Of course, everyone has questions about their newest injuries.

Otabek was wrong. 

Otabek had been a dumbass, bamboozling himself when he thought a lovely night with friends during their day without family would be his peak Christmas moment. He knew that, when he walked in on Yuri, kneeling on the bed, legs spread as far as was comfortable and stroking his dick. 

"Don't worry. You won't swallow it tonight. At least, your mouth won't." 

Otabek's eyes widened. 

Yuri smirked at him. "Your family will leave us alone tomorrow. They said they have plans. And you will be back to work soon. So I thought I'd make use of this new part of … well, me, as long as we can play unhindered. Are you interested?" 

He gulped, then nodded. 

"Perfect. Come here, Teddy." 

Otabek had no idea what happened to Yuri, but it felt good. He hadn't expected his husband to be so assertive, especially not since he was far less experienced, but the wine and talking about sex with their friends all night had changed things. 

As if to confirm, Yuri continued. "I talked to Mila, and she kept telling me she's so happy you got me a strap, and how much she loves it and how fucking hot it is. She kept going on about how good it feels to fuck someone with it. I couldn't think about anything else all night." 

Looking back, Yuri had been unusually cuddly and touchy, but Otabek thought it was because he was sorry for the sore throat, not because he was horny. 

Not that he would complain. 

Otabbek walked over to the bed and sat down next to his husband, facing him fully. Yuri took his hand, kissed his palm, and pressed it to his chest. He bristled a little but kept eye contact. 

"Mila said nipple play feels great. And you've been staring for a while. I'm feeling brave, so I thought …" 

He chewed on his bottom lip, and Otabek could tell Yuri was starting to rethink the decision, so he cupped his hand over Yuri’s breast and leaned in to suck on his throat. 

"Fuck … that's good. More of that." Yuri turned fully to Otabek and climbed onto his lap, then back out. "Undress. Right the fuck now. Please. Sorry. I'm … excited?" 

Otabek smirked, stood, and took off all of his clothes. The fact that he was obviously aroused seemed to calm Yuri immensely. 

"You like this. Right? This is sexy?" Otabek nodded hastily, and Yuri slipped back into whatever comforting mindset he had before. "Good. Come here again. I want to sit on your lap." 

Without hesitation, Otabek followed the command and sat down. 

Yuri climbed back onto him. "Good. This is good. I like this." It wasn't entirely clear if he was reassuring himself or Otabek. 

After looking around for a few seconds, obviously trying to remember something, he grabbed Otabek's hands again and pressed both onto his chest. It was heaving slightly, but Otabek took it as a good sign. 

"Do … something with it." 

He nodded obediently and took Yuri's hard nipples between the pads of his fingers. Otabek looked up to check if it was okay. Yuri's eyes were closed, mouth open, a wondrous frown between his brows. But his hips bucked, once, twice, so Otabek continued. 

"Fuuuuck … this … is the weirdest feeling. It doesn't feel  _ good  _ good. But it feels … good … like … something I could … learn to like? Keep going!" 

So Otabek did. He rolled them, tugged on them, flicked them, and did everything he could not to overstimulate him. Yuri's hips were continuously working against his thigh, the silicone pushing into his stomach and rubbing against his own cock. The fact that Yuri moved nearly frictionless across his thigh made him feel heady.

"Fuck … Beka … keep going … I'm … fuck …" Yuri's legs tensed around Otabek's. He would have been unable to stop even if anyone else asked him to. Otabek knew Yuri was inexperienced and hadn't touched himself much before. Still, the extent of just how easily aroused Yuri was always astonished him. "Bekam, Bekam, I'll—I have to—I'm going to—" 

"Cum." It was the first relatively clear word he had spoken in nearly two days, and it crashed through Yuri with the force of a wrecking ball. 

He gasped, clinging to Otabek's sides, pushing nails into the sensitive skin on his flanks as Yuri's hips stuttered and bucked. He moaned and whined, and oh god, Yuri was the most beautiful creature on Earth. 

For a moment, the world stood still. Then, Yuri relaxed, blinked a few times, and smiled lazily up at him. "Fuck. That … wasn't planned. Well … it was still nice." He smirked and kissed Otabek. Then, Yuri straightened his back. "Okay. I got this. Uuuhmmm …" he was obviously still unfocused. His skin was flushed and blotchy, as uncontrollable as Yuri's lust seemed to be once he stopped thinking. "I'm … I told you I'm going to fuck you today. Right? I already said that?" 

Otabek confirmed with a smirk and a nod. 

"You still want to?" 

Another confirming nod. 

"Great. Because … oh boy. I'm not done with tonight …" He looked down at himself. One of his hands cupped his chest, the other his dick. "This is such a weird view. But fuck. Mila was right, nipple play does feel good. 'Sorry-I-slicked-your-thigh-enough-to-glide-over-it' good …" He huffed, then looked at Otabek. "Sorry, I'm still …" 

"Discovering?" 

Yuri smiled. "Yeah. Also, don't worry about talking. I can hear the strain. And I'll talk enough for both of us anyway." 

He laughed lightly, and Otabek leaned in to kiss him. He nuzzled up to Yuri's ear and huffed air into it. 

"I love you, too." Then, Yuri crawled back onto his lap. "Let's do that again. This time, with the vibe." 

\----------- 

Otabek was wondering why he ever thought Yuri would mind being overstimulated. Right now, he was riding Otabek’s thigh for the fourth round. He was still cursing and hissing out his name and declarations of love and enjoyment, but by now, most of it was a jumbled mess of angrily slurred syllabics. Apparently, Yuri had both the stamina and the enthusiasm of a teenage boy when it came to testing his body's limits. 

Not that he minded. Otabek himself was sitting on a medium-sized plug, not much smaller than the toy in Yuri's harness. He bought them along with the rest, wisely anticipating—or rather, hoping for—such a situation. He knew himself and his own body, and that he would need a bit of time to get used to the stretch. So this turned out to be the most comfortable and fun way to go about it. 

Yuri would roll him onto his tummy and make him lift his ass, then open him up a little, give him a bigger plug, and flip him back to straddle and ride his thigh. It was their third cycle of this, and when Yuri was done, there were no plugs left to use. So Otabek knew his moment was drawing closer. 

The vibrator was on a higher setting now, and Otabek was faintly wondering if his thigh would be bruised in the morning with how aggressively Yuri was humping it. 

" 'm close. 'm close. Please …" Yuri whimpered into his ear, and Otabek wrapped his arms around him and took over the pace of Yuri's hips, roughening it as he whispered another command to cum into his ear.

He wasn't sure why Yuri seemed to need it. After the events of their blowjob accident, Otabek suspected there was a connection. 

When the word left his mouth, Yuri bit into his shoulder and yelled his pleasure against Otabek's body. He stopped moving his hips on his own, but Otabek dutifully took over and forced more friction onto him, making Yuri whine and shudder and cum just a little bit harder. 

It took him longer now to be coherent again. For a few minutes, he just leaned against Otabek, wave after wave of pleasure rattling the lithe body. 

Yuri sighed. His head dropped against his husband's shoulder. 

"Stop?" Otabek would hate to stop now. But he wasn't sure Yuri could handle more movement, let alone another orgasm. 

Yuri shook his head. "Break." 

Okay, then. 

\------------ 

He rested on his back and stared at the ceiling, Yuri curled against his body and dozing on his chest. Otabek knew with every minute that passed, another round became more and more unlikely. And he wouldn't sleep with the plug inside him. The thing felt terrible. So he carefully poked Yuri, who giggled and curled further into himself. He reminded Otabek of a snail hiding its eye. 

"Plug. Out." He felt like a robot talking like this, but there was no other way. 

Yuri blinked at him. "Oh, shit! The plug. I forgot about you!" He bolted upright and hissed about the minefield of pain that was once his leg and pelvis muscles. Otabek wondered when he would pass out, but Yuri pointed in front of him. "Come here." 

He … didn't really plan to fuck him now, did he? Yuri could barely sit upright. There was no way—

"Come. Here. I will NOT leave you without an orgasm  _ again. _ " 

Oh. Right. The blowjob incident. Well, if Yuri insisted … he got on all fours, ass towards his husband. It had been slightly uncomfortable the first time, but now Otabek didn't care anymore. If he would get rid of that fucking plug … 

Yuri gave him the most excellent care he could. He put extra lube on to get the plug out, even kissed his red rim better. Otabek shuddered, and his husband grinned, tracing his thumb over the sensitive ring of muscles. 

"I'm so sorry I made you wait for me." Another kiss, before Yuri leaned back and lubed up the toy. "We're almost there now, baby." He lined himself up, making sure Otabek was comfortable. One hand steadied his cock, the other rubbed the small of his lover's back. "I'll go slow, don't worry." 

And he did. Both of them moaned when the flared head passed the tight muscle. Yuri leaned forward and kissed what he could reach. "You are so fucking beautiful for me. I'm so lucky." He steadily pressed forward until he bottomed out, and both took a moment to breathe through it. "Fuck, Beka. You're the most beautiful thing in the world." 

Otabek grunted. It felt weird. He had read about it, and it wasn't unusual for people to dislike anal for the first few times. It was a somewhat unnatural intrusion, after all. Which made it a little hard for him to focus on the orgasm Yuri wanted to see from him. 

Otabek panted. He tried to loosen his muscles and allow Yuri to guide him. Curled a hand around himself and pumped. Asked Yuri to move, and for a moment, when Yuri eventually found his prostate, thought it was going to work. But it wasn't. And the fact that he was getting more and more soft was a pretty clear indicator. 

It took Yuri a while to notice, based on their positions and the fact that Otabek did what he could to keep it a secret, but eventually, Yuri realized. 

And he was furious. 

He pulled back immediately. "Beka, what the fuck?!" 

Otabek's forearms gave out, and he slumped into the pillows. 

"BEKA, WHAT THE FUCK?!" 

"Please. Don't yell. I tried." He struggled to believe how pathetic he sounded, how weak, how incapable, how disappointing, how— 

Behind him was the noise of rustling. When he turned, he saw Yuri all but ripping the harness off of himself. "Oh, Beka. Teddy, my Beka, you big dumb idiot!" Yuri forced himself under Otabek's arm and threw them into a hug. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, you big dumb baby. Why didn't you say anything? Fucking again?" 

Otabek blinked at him and readjusted, so they were both lying down, face to face. "You … liked it?" 

Mouth open, Yuri shook his head. "I don't fucking like raping you! What the fuck?!" 

Otabek's face morphed into a disbelieving frown. "Not rape!" 

Yuri sighed and rubbed his palms across his face, distressed yet again. "You said you're not a bottom. You even asked to get the plug out! You looked hesitant when I ordered you over, and instead of fucking thinking for once, I ordered you again! How long have you been soft? From the start? I didn't even realize! For minutes! What else would you call that?!" 

Otabek moved his head to Yuri's ear and huffed air into it. Yuri punched his chest but couldn’t hide a small, reluctant smile. 

"I love you, too, you dumbfuck. But don't do that! Don't fucking force yourself in a situation you don't like. Never, but  _ especially  _ not for me." He cupped Otabeks’s face. "I can't enjoy this if I have to constantly wonder if I'm hurting you." 

Turning his head, Otabek lowered his eyes in shame. Yuri was right. He should have found a way to communicate better. But he had honestly wanted to see if maybe he would like bottoming. So his gaze found Yuri's again. "Wanted to try." 

Yuri answered with a sigh. "For yourself or for me?" 

Blushing, Otabek tapped a finger to Yuri's chest. He probably looked like a wet poodle, and he felt the part. 

"Otabek Altin. You are a very smart man. But you are also very, very dumb sometimes." Yuri smiled at him and kissed him gently. "You're not a bottom. Hmm?" 

He shook his head. 

"Yeah. That's what I thought. If you want to try new things, let’s make sure you really want them in the future, okay? And for now … well, that leaves us with only one option." Yuri smirked and grabbed his hand, guiding it to his own ass. "Give me a reason to limp tomorrow, baby." 

Otabek stared at him. He blinked. His finger was still hovering over Yuri's entrance. 

But Yuri dropped it a second later, looking panicked. "Oh my god, I misread the situation again, right? And I'm forcing myself onto you. Again. FUCK, what's wrong with me?" 

Before he could stress himself out more, Otabek closed the distance between them, kissing Yuri hard. He grabbed and squeezed his ass, clinging to him like a drowning man. "Sure?" 

Yuri nodded furiously into the kiss. "Fuck, I've been wondering how to ask you for this since our fucking wedding night." He wrapped his legs around Otabek and rolled on top of him. "I just thought you wouldn't want anal with me because, you know, I have other options and—" Yuri was silenced by a rough kiss and greedy hands, pulling his hips forward. "Fuck. Fuck yeah. Okay, that feels good …" 

It was incredibly late at this point, more morning than night. But Otabek was hard again, and Yuri was horny, and after some significantly more relaxed and fun prep, Yuri was yelling at him to  _ 'fuck him already.' _ As it turned out, if one didn't clench the whole time, it felt less weird and awkward. Yuri was having the time of his life, loud and expressive again. Finally, Otabek felt back in his element when he put his third finger into his lover. 

He knew Yuri wanted to jump into it. Not only his private parts but his thighs were glistening. Otabek made it a point to stroke the silicone between his legs from time to time, just because it felt right for both of them. 

Four fingers and Yuri was cursing him and his ancestors. It was still dark outside, but that was only because it was the deepest winter. Now that they both felt and heard what it could sound like to be opened up, Otabek was wondering how he convinced himself to let it get to the point where he received a plug in the first place. 

He pulled them out, and Yuri whined, asking to be filled again. He thrust his hips back, even though he hissed with every movement from the burn in his muscles. 

Once everything was sufficiently lubed up, Otabek lay down again. He smiled at his husband and took Yuri's hand in his. "Your pace." 

Yuri nodded. He straddled Otabek and smiled down at him. "I love you." 

Then, he began to push his hips down, and before Otabek could tell him that he loved him, too, Yuri was moaning so loud he wondered if they would have to move. But Otabek's brain was out of commission in seconds, and he joined his husband in their descent into madness. 

Yuri felt warm and slick and hot, and so fucking good, Otabek wanted to cry. It had been quite a while since he had been with someone like this, and it had never meant anything. 

With Yuri, it was everything. 

They locked eyes, and Yuri rose back up, fell down, continued to climb the mountain of euphoria that was their love, and screamed out his pleasure when he fell again and again. 

At some point, Otabek activated the vibrator inside the harness and sat up to actively fuck into his husband. Yuri fell forward, holding on for dear life, and shivered, over and over, blinded by the white light of mind-numbing pleasure. 

They kissed and bit and stroked and caressed, rough nails on soft skin, loud, wet slapping and soft, whispered promises. 

Yuri was everything Otabek thought he would never have. 

When Yuri was nothing but liquid pleasure in his arms, Otabek finally lost his mind and composure. He came deep inside his lover, savoring their connection in the most primal way, and slumped against Yuri's heaving chest. 

Both of them were thoroughly out of it. 

For a minute or two, they simply held on to each other, before Otabek sighed deeply. He couldn’t remember how they lied down or if they cleaned up. He had no idea how Potya managed to get into bed with them, but at some point, she was suddenly back in the room. All he knew was he had Yuri pressed to his side, hidden from the world in the crook of his arm. 

The room was slowly tinting red from a winter sunrise that wasn’t melting the snow, but their hearts. 

Yuri, fucked out, beautiful, ever-evolving, but never changing like the moon—his Yuri—lifted his head and huffed into Otabek's ear. 

A smile, a kiss to Yuri’s nose. Otabek wanted to allow sleep to steal him away, just for a few hours now. He wanted to rest, before the craziness that was their life would fall over them again. But first, he had something important to do. Turning to Yuri, he huffed into his ear once more. It was so simple. It was so complicated. It was  _ them _ .

Otabek closed his eyes and listened to Yuri’s breath, evening out. There was only one thing on his mind when he thought about his husband. 

_ I love you, too. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AND THIS IS IT.  
> But is it, though?
> 
> Next week, I will welcome you to "Oh my god they were husbands - the remix".  
> AND I CAN'T WAIT TO SHOW YOU MORE! If you want to make sure you don't miss out on it, subscribe to me as an author. ♥
>
>> Thank you, everyone, who decided to follow this story, to the silent readers, but ESPECIALLY to the talkative ones.  
> I met incredible people through this fic and learned so so so much about myself and others.  
> Thank you for accompanying me on this ride.  
> Thank you to Taedae, who bears with me.  
> I'm also on  
> [Tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/venom-for-free)[, Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/venom_for_free/) or [Twitter](https://twitter.com/venom_for_free)
> 
> \------------------------------------------------------  
> Teaser, because you deserve it:
> 
> Otabek stared at the clock. It was too late, wasn't it? It was probably too late. His hands were sweaty with stress. He was pacing, up and down, up and down, until Yuri grabbed his shirt and pulled him onto one of the seats. 
> 
> "You're making me crazy. Oh my God. Bekam. Relax. Fucking RELAX. She's fine." 
> 
> The older woman across from them glared. Otabek could sense the 'Language!' on her tongue. But before she could say it, Yuri answered by sticking out his own. She gasped, scandalized, and walked off. 
> 
> "Don't pick fights, it's not her fault that—" 
> 
> "It's no one's fault. Now PLEASE, relax. She will be here any minute now and then you can go all crazy over her." Yuri's head fell back and he groaned. "Won't that be nice? Finally someone you can—" He interrupted himself. 
> 
> "What?" 
> 
> "Nothing." 
> 
> "What?" 
> 
> "Nothing." 
> 
> "Yura." 
> 
> "It wasn't nice." 
> 
> Otabek sighed and leaned back. "I'm not even surprised." 
> 
> "HEY!" Yuri kicked his shins. "Fine, maybe I'm a little nervous, too." 
> 
> "That's no reason to be cruel." 
> 
> "I literally didn't say any—" The speakers interrupted him, announcing the arrival of the delayed transatlantic flight. Yuri turned his head, probably to tell Otabek, 'See, you stressed for nothing', but his husband was already walking away. "BEKAM?!" 
> 
> Otabek ran more than walked across the airport, heading to the arrival area. He turned every few steps to make sure Yuri was following, but barely slowed down. "Юрийым? You coming?!"


End file.
